Just Friends
by FrictionFiction108
Summary: Percy and Annabeth are best of friends in high school; have been since 7th grade. However, Percy has a secret; he has a crush on her. Annabeth, though, is oblivious to it, putting Percy in the dreaded "friend zone". Will Percy be able to win her? Does Annabeth return his feelings? Rated T. Romance/Drama/Humor. (ART COVER BY JAAYCHAAN ON DEVIANART/YT. ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE USER)
1. Chapter 1: Sketchbook

**A/N: First, thanks for the taking the time to check out this story.**

 **As an avid fan of the PJO and HOO series, one of the most appealing parts was Annabeth's and Percy's growing relationship. The fact that they are first enemies yet they eventually grow feelings for one another.**

 **And then, well you know the rest.**

 **That inspired me to create this fanfic centered around their relationship with a twist.**

 **Chapters 1 and 2 will be on** **their years in middle school when they meet. Chapter 3 and so forth will be in their high school years.**

 **Rated T for rather** **strong language in later chapters.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO characters. I know that's obvious but many of the PJO fanfics I've read include a similar disclaimer.**

 **Although that would be pretty awesome. If my boy Rick Riordan is in the faintest chance reading this, hit me up! ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Sketchbook**

 **Deskmates**

"Class, please meet your new classmate Percy Jackson!" Miss Anderson said out loud as she ushered Percy towards the front. An apprehensive 12-year-old Percy made his way forward. Unsure of what to say, the only thing he managed was. "Um, uh…"

"That's nice dear." Miss Anderson stated, reprimanding her students as the kids began snickering. Near the back of the room, Annabeth Chase looked up from her sketchbook of architectural drawings and rolled her eyes.

Percy Jackson was the new seventh-grade transfer kid at Goode Middle School. Normally, new students would greet their class with a "hello", even if they were feeling a little shy.

This was probably the first nonword hello given by a student.

Annabeth's large grey eyes scanned Percy up and down as Miss Anderson began to reiterate to the class her expectations for how to treat new students. Her first impressions: well, not impressed. Percy was an average looking kid who was a little shorter than she. Annabeth reasoned he was probably near her age. Percy had jet black hair and sea green eyes. He was wearing a blue Nautica shirt with images of ocean waves and, weirdly, some seaweed on it. He also was extremely fidgety as Percy couldn't stop moving and jittering as the teacher spoke. However, the most distinguishing part of Percy was his mischievous, sarcastic smile that seemed to never leave his face.

Even though she had never met this kid before, something about that smile immediately set Annabeth off, to the point of annoying her.

"So Percy," Miss Anderson began, striking a cheery tone. "Are you from out of New York?"

"Um, no. I was born here," Percy started. He then hesitantly added. "I, uh, changed schools because I kind of got kicked out from my old one." which received oohs and aahs from all the kids.

"Oh, really?" Miss Anderson replied, making a quick mental note to herself to keep a tab on this Percy student. "Well, I hope you enjoy your new school!"

"To be honest, I want to go home," Percy flatly declared, leading the class to erupt in laughter.

"Quiet down class!" she shouted, trying to regain control of the situation. "Well, now, maybe that's because you don't know these students yet. I'm sure that by the end you'll be excited to come to school!"

"I doubt it." Percy shrugged. Miss Anderson sighed. _Great. Another 12-year-old kid who thinks he's sarcastic and hilarious. Just what I need!_ "Alright Percy," she continued, dropping the fake enthusiasm. "I think I'll pair you with Annabeth Chase in the back."

Annabeth was submerged in her sketchbook and didn't realize the teacher was calling her. Miss Anderson had to repeat herself again.

"Excuse me Annabeth!"

Annabeth put her pencil down and looked up. "Um, yes, Miss Anderson?" she asked shyly.

"I'd like you to say hello to Percy Jackson. You'll be his new deskmate for the school year."

 _Wait, what?_

Annabeth and Percy both shouted, "No!" at the same time.

"Hey, you two!" Miss Anderson intervened. "You barely know each other! How can you already say no to being desk mates!"

"I...I like sitting alone." she tried to argue. That was true. Annabeth was the definition of an introvert. She was super shy and socially awkward. She couldn't even sit near other girls without panicking.

If she could barely sit with members of her own gender, how the heck was she supposed to sit next to a boy?

Especially this boy!

"Yeah and I don't want to sit next to a girl!" Percy exclaimed, his face visibly upset. For Percy, it was bad enough he didn't want to come to school.

Now, he had to sit next to a girl? Torture!

"Wait whoa!" Annabeth interjected, taking offense to Percy's comment. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Percy replied, scoffing. "You know. Girls are gossipy. And they care too much about their looks, especially their hair."

"Hey, that is NOT true!" she declared. "And, anyway, boys are obnoxious, filthy and obtuse!" Annabeth shot back which received some cheers from the girls in her class.

"Hey I'm not...whatever words you used!" he responded. Percy obviously had no idea what those words meant, prompting Annabeth to laugh at Percy openly.

"You don't even know what I'm saying!"

"Shut up smarty-girl!"

"STOP IT YOU TWO!" Miss Anderson finally intervened. She first turned to Annabeth.

"Annabeth, you have to be open to meeting new students. You can't shun them off quickly. I really want you to make a friend in school sweetie." she softly said, which got Annabeth's peers to snicker. Annabeth crouched down lower in her seat, her face reddening with embarrassment. Miss Anderson had meant well with what she said. Annabeth had a total of zero friends throughout her elementary and first year of middle school.

Unfortunately, being extremely smart doesn't exactly make you "cool" to hang out with.

Miss Anderson then turned to Percy. "And Percy, you can't generalize all girls like that. Now, you two apologize. Percy will sit next to Annabeth and that's final!" The two let out sighs and moans of frustration.

 _The school year hasn't started yet and it's already ruined!_

"Alright class," Miss Anderson continued, "I will be writing some math equations on the board and you'll try to solve them." as Percy made his way towards the back. As he got closer, he observed Annabeth more closely. The girl had long, curly blonde hair which was tied back in a ponytail and tanned skin. She was also wearing a T-Shirt with the picture of a Greek building on it, as well as some blue jeans. Annabeth looked exactly like what Percy would imagine a stereotypical California girl would appear except her eyes; they were a startling grey. They seemed to be calculating a million things at once. And, currently, they were staring at Percy viciously as he sat down.

"Hey, smarty-pants." Percy started. He smelled noticeably of ocean water.

 _Ugh_ , Annabeth thought.

"Shut up," Annabeth replied. She then proceeded to focus back on her sketching book.

"Your name is Annabelle right?"

"Annabeth," she responded swiftly.

" You know, big-headed would be a better name," Percy uttered, smirking as Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Or maybe Miss Know It All. Or…"

"Don't you have something better to do like math work?" Annabeth interjected, perturbed by Percy's antics. "Instead of trying to show off how many immature nicknames you can come up with?!"

"Ok then Prissy Girl," Percy teased as Annabeth groaned.

 _Great, I have to spend the whole school year with this kid?_

"Alright, class? Who would like to solve for x?" Miss Anderson asked, turning to face her students. Simultaneously, Annabeth noticed Percy slumping down in his seat, trying to avoid eye contact with Miss Anderson as she scanned her whole class for a volunteer. She quickly realized that it was because Percy was probably not the greatest at solving math problems.

As Percy continued to silently whisper some more nicknames at Annabeth, an evil and genius idea began to form in her head to shut him up.

"Uh, Miss Anderson," Annabeth stated, raising her hand. "I think Percy would like to solve this question."

Percy glanced at Annabeth, a look of horror growing on his face. "Um, no I don't…"

"Yes, that's a great idea Annabeth! Percy, why don't you try to solve the problem!" Miss Anderson happily declared, holding out a piece of chalk.

"Um, Miss, I don't think that…."

"Come on Percy! We won't bite. I promise!" Miss Anderson stated.

Annabeth then chimed in. "Yeah Percy, what's the problem?" she asked in a playful manner trying to goad Percy. "What's the harm?"

Percy glared at Annabeth, a small smile slowly but visibly forming on her face. Percy could tell that Annabeth, accurately, assessed from Percy's hesitance that he couldn't solve the problem. She just wanted him to go up there to make a fool of himself.

Even though it was hard for him to admit, Percy gave Annabeth credit for coming to that conclusion. _Sh_ _e really is a smart girl._

The rational part of Percy told him to not go up there. But the other part, the not so rational, wanted to prove this girl wrong.

Big mistake.

"Alright, you know what. I'll do it!" he finally declared. Percy went up to the board and grabbed the chalk. He stared at the problem that confronted him. It was an equation 1/2(3/4x-14)=23.

Pretty simple stuff right?

To Percy, it looked like a bunch of hieroglyphics. Percy continued to stare, hoping that the numbers would magically start clicking and making sense but nothing happened. _Maybe if you put down something that looks right, Miss Anderson wouldn't be able to tell it's wrong_! But that wouldn't work. There was too much room for error.

So, Percy decided to do what he did best. He played dumb and joked. "I found x," he said, circling the letter in the equation. The teacher frowned as the class laughed out loud at Percy's joke.

"Not funny Percy," she replied dryly. Annabeth then took the opportunity to further embarrass him. She raised her hand.

"I'd, uh, like to solve the math equation, Miss Anderson."

Students who knew Annabeth groaned as she raised her hand. Though Annabeth was extremely shy, when it came to answering the teacher's questions, ESPECIALLY math problems, her shyness dissipated. She was well known as the "teacher's pet". She had been teased so many times for it, to the point that Annabeth vowed that this new school year she would not raise her hand at all in class.

However, at the moment, none of that mattered. All she was focused on was trying to stick it to this Percy kid as best as she could. And what better way than to correctly solve, in his face, this math problem?

Miss Anderson smiled, already certain Annabeth would answer the question correctly. Of course, Annabeth did.

"Good job Annabeth! And Percy, I would make sure I play VERY close attention to Annabeth whenever we're doing math problems," she added. Percy quickly rushed back towards his seat, cheeks red as his classmates jeered him. He refused to make eye contact with Annabeth, who was trying her hardest not to grin as he sat.

"Soooo, Percyyyy," Annabeth started teasingly looking at him. "How was that problem?"

"Shut up you Wise Girl," he muttered, face expression flat. Annabeth then laughed. Even though Percy was still angry at her for setting him up, he couldn't stay that way when he heard her laugh. It was pretty soft and cute.

"Wise Girl? Where did that name come from?" she asked.

"Oh, that name suits you perfectly!" Percy replied. "You are such a wise, and should I state the obvious, ANNOYING girl."

"Yeah well!" Annabeth responded, trying to come up with a clever comeback. _Percy can act so dumb at times._ She also took notice of Percy's shirt with seaweed on it again.

 _He can act like his brain_ _has a bunch… a bunch of seaweed in it._

"You're a Seaweed Brain Percy," she stated.

Percy stared at Annabeth, a puzzled look on his face. "I'm a what?"

"A Seaweed Brain," she again said. "You act and think like you have seaweed in your brain!"

"Ok, you're NOT calling me that!"

"I already did and will continue to!" she teasingly responded.

"Alright shut up Wise Girl!" Percy said turning away as Annabeth laughed. The rest of class, Percy sat stoned face, well aware that Annabeth was continuing to beam besides him massively.

First, she had humiliated him. Then, the stupid dumb nickname _Seaweed Brain_.

Percy wanted some payback.

* * *

 **Mistake**

Thankfully, recess came quickly.

Percy decided to go and play some kickball with the other boys, still musing over his new nickname. The rest of the girls went to go play and gossip on the swings. Annabeth, however, as usual, made her way towards the table benches at the far back of the school, her architecture sketchbook and pencil in hand. Annabeth spent each recess consumed with drawing and designing new buildings. To her, the sketchbook was her most prized possession and was her friend. It didn't judge or tease her like the kids in her school. Most importantly, unlike Annabeth's experiences with trying to make friends, her drawings were permanent.

Maybe that was why she was so drawn to architecture. Her friendships never lasted.

Buildings did.

Currently, Annabeth was sketching a model of a skyscraper modeled after the Empire State Building, one of her favorite architectural structures in NYC. In her version, however, she had some key improvements; she had made the windows bigger and made the building run entirely on a combination of solar and wind power.

Pretty cool stuff.

However, out of nowhere, Percy swooped in and snatched Annabeth's sketchbook, who looked back at him, stunned.

"What's this, your little diary?" he teasingly asked.

"Hey give that back Percy!" she screamed, quickly getting over her shock. She got up and ran after Percy, who dodged and began to run away.

"Writing about your secret crush here?"

"COME AND GIVE THAT BACK PERCY!" Annabeth ran after Percy, who continued to laugh hysterically as he sprinted away towards the playground. Though she was fast, Percy was just a hair faster and had the bigger lead; Annabeth struggled to keep up as Percy continued to run.

Eventually, Percy was able to gain some distance from Annabeth. He used the extra time to open the book, preparing to see some usual girl gossip to use against her. However, he was greeted to the drawing that Annabeth had been working on.

Percy stared at it, shocked. _There's no gossip. Nothing!_ He was also surprised by how good these drawings were; they were very well detailed and designed.

Almost professional looking.

 _Wow, w_ _ere these really Annabeth's?_

"Give me my book!" Annabeth yelled. She snatched her sketchbook away from Percy. However, he had kept his hand on the page of her Empire State Building drawing. This resulted in the page being ripped out from the book.

Even worse, it had ripped in half.

A horrified look appeared on Annabeth's face.

"No…," Annabeth cried out, stunned. "No, not..not my drawing…"

Percy looked at the now ripped drawing in his hand. "Annabeth, I didn't mean to.." he started, trying to explain himself. But he was at a lost for words.

"MY DRAWING IS RUINED!" she screamed as she snatched the broken page pieces, trying desperately to put the two together as if they would magically reattach.

However, it was ruined.

The drawing she had spent days working on, ruined.

"Annabeth, I…"

"GO...GO AWAY PERCY!" she exclaimed, running inside before Percy could finish explaining. His eyes met hers just as she was leaving; Annabeth looked absolutely broken and on the verge tears.

Percy's heart almost broke at that sight. She looked so sad at the moment. Even though she had pranked Percy and humiliated him, that didn't mean she deserved to be broken down to the verge of tears; he had just wanted to play a little joke.

Instead, he had made her cry.

 _What have I done…_

* * *

 **Reconciliation**

During lunch, Annabeth usually sat alone in the back of the cafeteria, enjoying her lunch of olive pizza while reading a book. However, today, she was fixated solely on her ruined drawing.

Annabeth felt some more tears coming down her face as she used the tape she got from the art room to fix it. Gosh, she felt so weak and pathetic crying; it was just a stupid drawing after all.

Yet, she knew it wasn't just that; her notebook drawings were the most important things in her life. And now, they were completely ruined.

 _All because of that stupid Seaweed Brain kid._

Percy suddenly came over to her. Annabeth quickly looked away from Percy.

"Go away Percy." she coldly told him.

"I just want to apologize." Percy pleaded.

"There's nothing to talk apologize about!" she snapped not looking up. "You ruined my drawing! End of conversation."

"Please Annabeth, just.. just let me explain." Annabeth forced herself to look up at Percy; he looked extremely sad and guilty. Though she was still angry at him, she sensed that he was being genuine with his apology. She had to at least hear him out.

"Fine, but make it quick."

"Annabeth..I'm...I'm so sorry. I...I just wanted to play a little joke on you to get back for that incident in class. I saw your notebook and thought it might have been your diary so I wanted to snatch it and make fun of you. I...I never wanted to hurt you." Percy stated. Annabeth looked at him; his sea green eyes looked sad. He looked like a hurt baby seal. Annabeth softened at that sight.

"Percy, hey, don't be sad," Annabeth began, trying to comfort him.

"I'm... I'm such a bad person!" He said, his hands buried in his face. "That's probably why I get kicked out of all my schools!"

"Hey don't say that Percy!" she exclaimed. She wasn't sure what Percy was talking about when he mentioned the "kicked from his schools" part but a bad person? As annoying as he was, Annabeth had a feeling Percy was not someone who would intentionally hurt her. She had met those kinds of people before.

"Hey, it was a misunderstanding. Besides, that joke I played on you in math class was kind of mean," she admitted.

"You...You don't understand!" he started. Percy looked as if he was about to add something but Annabeth stopped him

"Percy, look!" Annabeth finally said, her tone and expression serious, which shocked both she and Percy. "You are NOT a bad person! What you did was a mistake and you didn't mean to do it to hurt me. I'm still kind of angry at you, but I forgive you."

Percy had a gracious look in his eyes, immediately lightening her mood."Can...can we start our friendship over? Let's just forget any of this stuff happened."

"Okay, Seaweed Brain," she said, smiling slowly which made Percy smile. For the next few minutes, they sat next to each other eating their lunches in silence. Eventually, Percy broke the silence.

"I wanted to say, you're drawings are really good Annabeth," he commented.

Annabeth almost laughed, as if she didn't believe what he was saying. "You're just saying that to be nice."

"No, I mean it." Annabeth saw Percy's face, which was dead serious. Her face then lit up.

"You...you really mean it?." Annabeth had shown her some of her peers her drawings before, only to be bullied and teased for it, calling the drawings "nerdy".

This was the first time one had complimented them.

"I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't mean it. You really have some talent!. You should become an architect."

Annabeth smiled at that comment. "That's..that's my ambition. To become an architect. My...my mother works as one." she said, her voice lowering as she said the word "mom". Annabeth was extremely sensitive when it came to the topic of mothers; her own had left right after she was born. Annabeth never found out why. However, from what her dad told her, she was extremely into architecture, probably explaining why Annabeth also loved architecture.

"Really wow. Have you designed any buildings with her?"

Annabeth's face grimaced when Percy asked that. "I...I never met my mother. I just know that she was an architect." she said in a pained voice.

"Oh," Percy slowly said. He didn't add an "I'm sorry" like many other kids did which Annabeth appreciated. The words "I'm sorry" never felt genuine.

Percy then added. "I know how you feel. I never knew my father that well either."

Annabeth gave him a sideways glance. "Really?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah. I only get to see him once a year, twice if I'm lucky. He works for the government in oceanography and shipping. He's always super busy so he's never home at all."

Annabeth gave a sympathetic nod to Percy, who graciously accepted it.

"I have a feeling your mother would have loved your drawings if she saw them." Annabeth's eyes glistened. If there was one thing she wished if she ever met her mother, it was for her to see at least one of Annabeth's architectural drawings.

"Percy," Annabeth asked slowly, thinking about Percy's comment about being a bad person. "What...were you talking about when you said you were expelled?" careful to choose her words properly

Percy's expression sullied. "I...I was at four different schools before moving here. I was expelled mostly for fighting against the school bullies They would pick on the other kids in school. I felt really bad for them. I...I stood up for them. "

"That's not fair!" Annabeth commented. Whenever she would be bullied at school, no one would stand up for her. "You were just trying to protect them!"

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, well, the bullies were smart; they were able to frame it like I was the one who started the fights. No one wanted to show that they were wrong so of course, I'm the one getting expelled. And since that's on my record, teachers always put the blame on me when fights break out."

Annabeth put her hand on Percy's shoulders, trying to comfort him. "That's really brave that you did that. No one would have done the same, Percy." She then added, "That's why you're a good person."

Percy looked at her graciously. "Thanks, Annabeth. I'm lucky to have a...a friend like you," he said

Annabeth smiled. "I'm glad to have a friend like you as well, " she said.

 _Friend_. That word and concept were foreign to her. Yet, it seemed as if Annabeth had just made a friend in middle school.

The rest of the day went pretty well.

By school's end, Annabeth's mood had improved significantly. She had nearly forgotten about the incident. As Annabeth got to know Percy better, she realized how extremely funny and great he was to talk to. They were joking and laughing like they had known each other for years.

"See you tomorrow Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, smirking as they exited the school.

"Yeah okay, Wise Girl!" he grinned. He was growing less and less annoyed at the nickname she gave him. Annabeth smiled to herself as she headed towards the subway to go back to her house in Brooklyn. She was actually looking forward to school the next day.

However, as Percy headed downtown on the 6 train, he couldn't stop but remember Annabeth's pained face and crying when he accidentally ruined her drawing. The sadness, the pain; it was something that he saw in the kids that were bullied in his previous schools. To see this girl, who seemed so sweet and innocent, also broken down into tears had shocked him.

He took out the money in his pocket and counted it, $20 in total. He had been saving it up to buy a new skateboard or surfboard.

However, that would have to wait.

Percy went to Soho to one of the arts and craft stores around the area. He looked around for some sketching utensils, as well as a new fancy sketchbook. Of course, Percy knew zero about arts and crafts. He used his best assessment as possible. Percy settled on a shiny, gold bounded blue sketchbook; it was pricey at $12.

 _Hey, can't be stingy now! You're doing this for a friend!_

"Excuse me, sir," Percy came up to one of the men who was stocking up on art supplies. "Do you do engravings for sketchbooks?

"Why yes, we do young man!" He then grabbed the sketchbook and asked: "And what is your name?"

"Um, it's not for me. It's for a friend. Her name's Annabeth. Annabeth Chase." Percy replied

"Aww, how sweet of you!" the man exclaimed, eyes lighting up. Percy blushed a bit but tried to hide it. "I'll make sure that I'll make it extra special for your friend." as he went to the back of the store.

 _Yes please do! I really need this to work out!_

The man then came up out to show Percy the sketchbook; it had Annabeth's name inscribed in bright, gold letter in the front center. Percy whistled. "Wow, that's really good." he commented as he took the sketchbook from the man.

"Well, it's for your friend. Hope she enjoys it." the man said winking at him. Clearly, he thought this Annabeth girl was Percy's girlfriend, WHICH SHE WAS NOT Percy would point out.

"Thank you, sir!" Percy quickly responded as he made his way towards the cashier. On the way back home, Percy had one thing on his mind.

 _I really hope Annabeth likes the gift._

* * *

 **Thank You**

The next day, Percy walked into his class to find Annabeth already there.

"Hey, good morning Seaweed Brain!" she started grinning as he took his seat.

"Hey Wise Girl." Percy said, smiling slowly. He then cleared his throat. "I, um, got you something for what happened yesterday."

Annabeth looked at him, taken aback. "Percy, you didn't have to…"

"No, I wanted to," Percy firmly said. He then showed Annabeth the sketchbook and the sketching utensils.

Annabeth sat there shocked. This was the first time one of her peers had ever given her a gift.

"Percy, it's...it's beautiful," she replied as Annabeth took the sketchbook. It was gold bounded and blue. It already had Annabeth's name printed on it in a fancy inscription.

It was perfect.

She then looked up at him. "I don't know how to..." Annabeth suddenly got up and hugged Percy.

"Thank you." she whispered to him.

Percy sat there, stunned as Annabeth hugged him. Her hug was extremely soft and warm. He also began to take in little details, like the fact that Annabeth's hair smelled like lemon soap. Or that her blonde hair was really shiny and curly.

"Um, uh, no problem. " Percy stuttered messing up his words while blushing. This was the first time he had ever hugged a girl that wasn't his mother. "N..n..noo problem at all Wise Girl!" he awkwardly told her, giving a grin.

Annabeth smiled as Percy called her that. Initially, she was annoyed at that name.

However, she began to get used it, actually kind of hoping Percy would call her that. It was a cute nickname.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain," she replied. Annabeth couldn't help but continue to smile during the rest of the school day.

Percy was growing on her.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **If you do like it, please do follow/fav/review. Even if it's a simple, "good job" or "nice work" kind of comment. A lot of readers I think don't understand just how far a simple review can go to brighten an author's mood and continue to motivate them.**

 **As a fanfic author, reviews are ways I measure if people are appreciative and grateful of the time and effort that I put and spend into making chapters. And I do spend a lot of time on this story, as you'll see in the coming chapters. So if you like it, please do review if you can!**

 **Thanks and have a great day.**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	2. Chapter 2- Cute Moments

**Thanks everyone who read the previous chapter, as well as the follows, favs, and comments. R** **eally appreciate it and hoped you enjoyed it.**

 **The second chapter, as the title suggests, is some cute moments that Percy and Annabeth share in middle school together. There's going to be lots of Percabeth and lots of tension (can't spoil more than that). Kind of a development chapter for their friendship and relationship.  
**

 **And honestly, what more could you want in life?**

 **Enjoy.**

 **(A/N: Forgive for any spelling/grammer and sentence structure errors)**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Cute Moments**

 **I'm Here for You**

Annabeth's and Percy's friendship began to take off the next few weeks.

They had grown closer and closer ever since the first day they met. The two spent nearly all their time together in school, whether in class or lunch. Wherever you found Annabeth, you could probably find Percy right next to her.

They also began to learn more and more about one another; it shocked them how much they had in common; it was like they were a match made in Olympus. They both possessed the same goofy humor, teasing attitude, music and tv show tastes. Even favorite sports teams; Annabeth and Percy were both big Yankee fans (Annabeth's mom was a Yankee's fan. Before she had gone, she had given Annabeth a Yankees cap as a gift to remember her, which Annabeth treasured. Percy's dad, likewise, also loved the Yanks.).

And in a school that was majority Mets and Red Sox fans, they were in the minuscule minority.

Annabeth learned that Percy was an avid surfer and swimmer; Percy, likewise, learned that Annabeth was extremely gifted at word/puzzle problems as well as enjoyed running in her free time. This prompted Percy to challenge her on who was faster. Annabeth, who still had memories of Percy beating her when chasing him for stealing her sketchbook (that was old news now), promptly accepted and proceeded to beat him 3 out of 3 times to Percy's expense and Annabeth's pleasure.

For each of them, the school day was not the same without the other; in fact, one day, Percy had gotten sick and had to stay home. Annabeth was miserable the whole day; she had found it hard to focus on schoolwork or anything for that matter.

When Percy came back the next day, Annabeth greeted him with a loud "WHERE WERE YOU YESTERDAY SEAWEED BRAIN! I WAS WORRIED SICK!" followed by punching Percy on the arm.

"Um, sorry," he replied awkwardly, which was not the answer Annabeth was looking for. She tried to look angry at him, punching Percy again, making him yell "Ow, what the hell Wise Girl?!". However, she ended up hugging Percy, just relieved he was okay. The only thing that mattered was Seaweed Brain was with her.

When she was with Percy, Annabeth found herself acting differently. Usually quiet and reserved, she was goofing around and chatting it up with Percy. Annabeth also felt more confident around him. Percy, likewise, acted differently; usually much less open about himself and insensitive to people's feelings, around Annabeth, Percy began to become more open and sensitive to her soft and caring personality.

One day, the two were eating lunch together, having their usual friendly "debates". Well, it really wasn't a debate. They would usually talk and argue about silly things like whether pizza was better than burgers or Superman was better than Batman **(Superman obviously ;)).**

Today, Percy was trying to convince Annabeth that New York pizza was better than Chicago deep-dish.

"I'm telling you Annabeth, NY pizza is WAY better than deep dish!" he exclaimed.

"Come on Seaweed Brain, you seriously can't believe that, can you?" Annabeth asked shooting him a quizzical look.

"Yes, I do and I can prove it, Wise Girl!" He then took his slice of lunch pizza and placed it near her mouth. "Try it!" Annabeth bit it off, sticking her tongue at Percy beforehand.

"Well?"

"It's good," Annabeth admitted, which led Percy to pump his fists at first, thinking he'd won. "But, let me ask you this, how many of these slices do you need to feel full?"

"Um, probably 3."

"And remember the last time we had deep dish pizza after school, how many could you finish?" Annabeth asked, recalling the time they had eaten out at Emmett's Pizza (known for their deep dish) in Greenwich Village after school.

"Only 1," Percy admitted. "But, that's not fair, those things are HUGE!"

"The argument is which is better so size doesn't factor in!" Annabeth retorted. "Since you feel full with just 1 awesome slice than 3, deep dish wins! So, yet again, I won this argument!" she said grinning, with her now pumping her fists as Percy moaned.

"Shut up you Wise Girl." he moaned as Annabeth laughed.

The two continued to chat and eat their lunches. Annabeth was in a good mood until someone called out to her.

"Oh, look at this, Miss Nerdy has a new boyfriend!"

Annabeth's mood dampened drastically. She turned around to come face to face with Nancy Bobofit.

Nancy Bobofit was THE premiere bully at Goode Middle School. She was a mean 12-year-old redhead kid whose sole reason for existence Annabeth believed was to make life hell for students. Ever since 4th grade in elementary school, Nancy would constantly pick and tease on Annabeth, calling her nerdy and a loner. Annabeth tried to avoid her at all costs. But, like an annoying bug (even bugs were less annoying than her) Nancy wouldn't.

"Go away, Nancy." Annabeth quickly said, wanting to get back to speaking with Percy.

"Why, I just wanted to say to hi to your boyyy friend!" Nancy teased, her face in a grin. "My goodness, I'd never thought I'd see the day when the big nerd in class would have a boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Annabeth exclaimed, her face reddening significantly.

Nancy started to chant. "Annabeth and Percy sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!". A bunch of kids near them began to laugh, all at Annabeth's expense.

"Stop it, Nancy!" Annabeth pleaded. Percy then turned towards Nancy, who looked like he was also blushing.

"Yeah, Nancy. She's not my girlfriend! And don't you have something else to do other than being an annoying douche?" Percy asked. A collective gasp of "Ooos" began to go across the cafeteria.

Nancy turned to Percy. Annabeth thought she was going to punch him but instead, she scoffed. "Why are you even hanging out with this loser, Percy? You could do so much better!"

"First off, she's NOT a loser. Second, she's fun and nice to talk to. Unlike you!" Percy fired back.

"Percy, please don't," Annabeth said, grabbing Percy by the shoulder to calm him down. She admired his bravery and standing up for her but she didn't want the situation to escalate further. Nancy laughed, taking notice of Annabeth's actions. "Look, she can't even defend herself! She needs someone else to do it! You're so pathetic and weak Annabeth," she said. "Ever since in 4th grade, you've always been such a nerd and a loner with no friends. YOU'RE SUCH A LOSER!" Nancy shouted.

"Please stop." Annabeth croaked but they were low and desperate.

"Ha, I shouldn't have even thought that you have a boyfriend!" Nancy continued. "Who would want to go out with a grey-eyed blonde freak like you!"

Annabeth had reached her tipping point. She got up from the table and ran out towards the hallway, tears dripping down her eyes. Nancy rolled her eyes and laughed as her friends high fived her. Most of the other kids, however, stayed quiet; though they felt bad for Annabeth, that certainly didn't mean that they would do anything about it.

"Annabeth, wait!" Percy exclaimed, but she had already exited the cafeteria. Percy glared at Nancy, who was looking pleased with herself, and sprinted off. He looked around the hallways for a while; no Annabeth. Eventually, he went towards her locker and saw Annabeth, hands buried in her face, sobbing hysterically. Her blond hair was a tangled mess around her. She was mumbling to herself stating, " _Why does she always pick on me! Why do they always pick on me!"_

Percy's heart began to swell.

Annabeth noticed Percy nearby and turned away, not wanting him to see her like this. "G..go away P...Percy," she stammered, holding back more tears.

"Never," Percy softly replied as he approached her. "I'm your friend."

"Just go, Percy! Please!" Annabeth tried to shoo away from Percy but he grabbed her before she could leave. He put his arms around her as Annabeth continued to sob on his shoulder.

Percy could feel Annabeth shivering; she felt so weak and beaten up.

"N...Nancy's right Percy. I..I'm just a lonely nerdy student with no friends! It's better if you just g..g..go." , Annabeth stuttered, struggling to form sentences.

"She's wrong Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed. "You're not nerdy nor a loser. You are such a strong and intelligent person! Don't listen to any of that nonsense. And besides, I'm your friend. That doesn't make you lonely!"

"Why do you keep defending me, Percy? I'm so useless!" Annabeth continued, trying to shove Percy away. "Just leave me...please!"

Percy continued to hold on to her. "Annabeth, I won't leave you!"

"Just go!" she pleaded.

"No Annabeth!" Percy kept insisting.

"Percy, please just…"

"ANNABETH, I WON'T LEAVE YOU BECAUSE I LIKE YOU!" Percy screamed, forcing her to look him in the eyes. She was shocked by how serious they looked. "I like talking to you Annabeth! You're funny, sweet, and caring. You're probably the only reason I like coming to school. I really don't care if I don't have any other friends; having you as a friend is more than enough!"

Annabeth swallowed up her tears, taking in Percy's words. "Y..you really mean all of that Percy?"

"Yes, I do! You are the greatest friend I've ever had and probably will ever have. You always make my day better. I wouldn't trade that for anything!" Annabeth then sat up and hugged Percy, a long and sincere one. She was grateful he had him.

"Percy," Annabeth asked, breaking the hug. "Why...why do they keep making fun of me, not only Nancy, all of the kids? I don't know why! They've been doing that ever since elementary school. Pre-k!"

"It's because they're all jealous. They know they're not as smart or funny. They're not as determined and strong as you! How many kids already know what they want to be when they grow up? I barely know what I want to do when I get home." Percy joked, a smile appearing on Annabeth's face.

Percy continued. "They probably also jealous because they're not as pretty as you. Or...

"Wait, y..you think I'm pretty?" Annabeth asked. Her gray eyes began to sparkle; this was the first time a boy had called her pretty.

Percy blushed, realizing the Freudian slip he made.

 _Oh crap_.

"Uh, yes, you're really pretty. Well, I mean that as a friend. N..not because I'm, uh, f...flirting. But I REALLY do mean it, Annabeth. But, a..again, not to..." he quickly added, mumbling and screwing up his words trying to do damage control. It was hard to focus when Annabeth's cute gray eyes were amusingly looking at him. Annabeth giggled and kissed Percy on the cheek, making him blush even more. That was Percy's first time a girl had kissed him on his cheek.

"Um, uh…" Percy stammered. Now he was REALLY red.

"That was a best friend to best friend kiss Seaweed Brain," she said grinning. "I'm saying thank you."

"Oh, um, ok," Percy said. He quickly tried to change the subject, but it's hard when your brain is going o _h my god a girl kissed me!_

"Uh...Annabeth, just.. just know that I'll always be there okay? No matter what."

"You.. you promise?"

"I promise," he finally said. Percy helped Annabeth to get on her feet. He then went to the bathroom to give her some tissues to clean herself up.

Percy had an angered look on his face.

"I'm going to give that Nancy Bobofit a piece of my mind!" he yelled, fists clenched as he proceeded to walk to the cafeteria.

"Percy, no, don't!" Annabeth exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

"She deserves it! Look what she did to you!"

"I know she deserves it but what is fighting her going to do? You're only going to enrage her. You're probably going to get suspended or even expelled. And I..I don't want to lose you." Annabeth slowly said, her eyes saddening.

Percy still was fuming. However, seeing Annabeth's pleading eyes softened him. She was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. Fighting Nancy would only dampen the situation. Besides, he had promised he would NOT leave Annabeth.

"Ok, Wise Girl, I won't. I wish I had as much self-restraint as you did. That probably could've helped me so many times."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Believe me Seaweed Brain; there were at times I wanted to knock that stupid grin off Nancy's annoying face," making Percy smile. "But sometimes, it's just better to let stupid things like her continue to be stupid."

"Man you're so wise...Wise Girl." he smirked as Annabeth smiled.

Back inside the cafeteria, the two made their ways to their lunchtable, both in much better moods. Percy gave Nancy a fierce glare before he sat. "You EVER hurt Annabeth again and the next time I won't be soft on you!" Nancy and Percy stared at each other for a while, seeing which one would blink first. However, finally, Nancy sneered and turned away, mumbling, "Fine, I'll leave you two losers to be. I've got better things to do." she said as she walked away.

The cafeteria stared at Percy in awe. This was the first time someone had stood up to Nancy. Some began going up to Percy, patting him on the shoulder.

"Percy, that was..."

"Incredible!"

"Insane!"

"Your crazy dude!"

"You're awesome. You should come eat with us!" one kid asked.

Percy smiled at all the comments. "I would love to but I want to finish my lunch with my awesome, _beautiful_ friend Annabeth," he said, making Annabeth blush.

The kids all said "wow" as they made their way back to their tables, some mumbling _"are those two dating?"_

Annabeth punched Percy in the arm. "What was that? _I want to eat lunch with my beautiful friend._ " she asked.

"Yes, my beautiful best friend. Can I not call a friend that?"

"You're too sweet. I think I'm going to be sick." she replied, fake vomiting as Percy laughed. They continued to eat their lunches. The rest of the day, the kids were gossiping about Percy and Annabeth. However, when asked directly about the rumors, they both denied it of course. Annabeth knew that they were just good friends, best friends in fact.

 _We're just friends_. _Best friends_ she repeated to herself, almost like she was trying to convince herself.

* * *

 **TV and chill at Percy's place**

One spring day, after school, Percy had invited Annabeth over to his apartment to watch some reruns of their favorite comedy show, _The Office_. Percy had been hesitant for weeks to bring Annabeth to his place. However, after incessant and constant teasing by Annabeth, Percy had to relent.

When the two arrived, they were greeted to a cheerful hello by a beautiful middle-aged woman.

"Oh, my gods, you must be Annabeth Chase!" she said, smiling enthusiastically. Miss Sally Jackson was around 40 years old but one could forgive themselves if they thought she was around 20; she looked that young. She had a radiant smile, long brown hair, Percy's same green eyes, and such a positive attitude.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Jackson," Annabeth said, extending a polite hand out. However, instead, Miss Jackson came over to give Annabeth a big hug. Annabeth was taken aback by her directness. However, eventually, she eased up and hugged her back. Miss Jackson had such a warm and amiable hug.

"Please, just call me Sally! It''s so great to finally meet you! Percy has told me SO much about you!" Miss Jackson excitedly declared.

"Mom!" Percy groaned. Annabeth giggled.

"He has?" Annabeth playfully asked, causing Percy to glare at her.

"Yes! He's told me how smart, funny, and good at architecture you are. He didn't tell me you were beautiful as well!" which made Annabeth blush.

"Mom please stop!" Percy pleaded with her, his face in a blush. Gods, if there were ever a time for his mom NOT to humiliate him, it would be now. "We're just going to watch our show now," he said, quickly grabbing Annabeth's hand and rushing to the living room.

"Your mom is awesome!" Annabeth stated as they sat down on the couch.

"Yeah. Other than the embarrassing-me-in front-of-my-best-friend part, she's pretty great." Percy replied. They then turned the TV on and started watching their show. A few minutes later, Miss Jackson came into the room, a plate full of freshly baked, bright blue chocolate chip cookies in hand.

"Blue cookies?" Annabeth asked, taken aback.

"Yes, blue is Percy's favorite color. I always tell him that if cookies can be blue, Percy can do anything."

"Wow, that's really nice and sweet." Annabeth commented. She then tried one; they tasted fantastic. "These cookies are amazing Miss Jackson!"

"Again, call me Sally Annabeth. And, why thank you, aren't you a sweet girl." she said, pinching her face. She then went over to Percy and asked "Percy, are you really sure Annabeth isn't your girlfriend? I would love to have her as part of our family!"

"MOM!" Percy exclaimed, reaching his tipping point, his face reddening. "You're embarrassing me!" However, the damage had been done. Annabeth had heard their back and forth and was now grinning at Percy, who was doing his best to stare straight ahead at the TV.

"Don't even start…"

"Your mom really wants me to be your girlfriend, huh?" Annabeth began smirking.

"Okay, now you know why I didn't bring you here in the first place."

"Oh, come on I think it's sweet, Percy!"

"Sweet, for you, at my expense and embarrassment of course," he mumbled which made Annabeth laugh. She then punched him in the arm.

"Well, if you're going to learn how to be a good boyfriend to me for your mom, then you should start by getting me a glass of milk to enjoy these delicious cookies!" Annabeth teased.

"Oh, you can't be serious Wise Girl! You're closer to the refrigerator than I am!" he moaned.

"Oh, I am being serious. Really really serious," she teased, trying to put her best serious face on. However, it was hard when you were smiling.

"Really?"

"Oh, come on, Seaweed Brain. Do it for your little Annabeth!" she pleaded in a baby voice, scrunching her gray eyes pouting.

 _Ugh, again WHY did her eyes have to be so cute? Why am I saying they're cute. Cause they are cute. Am I really going to do something I don't want to do because of Annabeth's eyes? Yes, yes I am._

"Ugh, fine. I'll do it." Percy grumbled, walking to the kitchen as Annabeth cheered. Percy continued to groan to himself as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured some milk. Percy walked back to the living room and handed it to Annabeth.

"Here you go...sweetheart." he joked as he gave her the glass of milk.

"Don't I get a kiss?" she teased.

"Oh, are you serious?" Percy asked.

"Come on! It's for your giiirrrlfriend." she playfully said. Initially, Percy glared at Annabeth, absolutely annoyed at the lengths she was taking this joke. However, at the last moment, he kissed her on the forehead.

Annabeth was stunned, she only meant the kiss part as a joke. Even more so, she kind of liked the kiss. Percy, likewise, although he didn't want to admit it.

The two couldn't tell but Miss Jackson was looking on from the back, smiling.

Trying to de-escalate the awkward situation, Percy joked. "There you go honey," he said, grinning. Annabeth gave a small smile back and stuck her tongue out trying to go along with the joke. The rest of the time was silent and awkward as they continued watching their show, with only the occasional laughs being broken out.

Eventually, it hit around 5 pm afternoon and Annabeth had to leave. As Percy walked Annabeth to his door, he decided to continue the joke.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow my wonderful girlfriend?" he said grinning.

"Alright, my annoying Seaweed Brain." she replied.

"You know I'll miss you." he teased.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Well I'll miss you more!" she countered.

"I'll miss you more times 3!" Percy countered back

"I'll miss you times 10!"

"Well, I'll miss you more times…"

"Alright stop it, Seaweed Brain." she finally said smiling as Percy smiled back. Annabeth then walked out and headed towards the nearby subway. On the train, she tried to read her book while listening to music. However, the only thing that was on her mind was Percy's kiss. She had liked it TOO much.

 _Come on brain, we're just friends_. She told it. _Nothing more than that!_

 _But that kiss, Annabeth. It was so cute. So, lovely. So..._

"Shut up!" she exclaimed out loud, which got some passengers to look at her like she was crazy. Annabeth then turned back to her book, forcing herself to read.

Back at Percy's apartment, Percy was walking back to the living room, only to be greeted by his mother who was smiling widely.

"So, you're really going to tell me she's not your girlfriend?"

"Mom, she's not! We were just joking around that's all!" he quickly replied.

"Right, a joke. You kissed her on the forehead!" she said grinning.

"Hey, I told you, Annabeth and I like to joke and tease around about this kind of stuff!"

"If you say so Percy," she stated as she walked to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Percy grumbled to himself as he went to his room.

 _Yes, it was a joke. A joke! That's it. Why is that so hard for my mom to get?_

* * *

 **Art Competition**

They were now 13 years old and in 8th grade, one removed from entering high school.

While walking to his P.E class, Percy had noticed a flyer on a bulletin board that read "Art and Sketch Competition. Send your designs submissions to the art room by October 2nd!" It was still October 1st, one day left to be able to submit.

Percy's eyes lit up. He knew Annabeth's drawings were fantastic; she would almost certainly destroy the competition if she entered.

"No." Annabeth flatly answered as Percy talked to her about it in lunch.

"What, why not?" Percy asked, flabbergasted.

"No Percy, I just...I don't want to." she tersely replied.

"That's not a good excuse." Percy pointed out. Annabeth frowned at him.

"I don't need an excuse! I...I just don't want to do it. My drawings aren't ... aren't good enough."

Percy almost had to laugh at what Annabeth was saying. "Not good? Are you kidding me Annabeth? Your drawings are incredible! I really think you could win this competition."

Annabeth gave a half-smile, appreciating Percy's praise. "I know you like them, Percy. And I think they're good too. But I told you, all the kids I've shown them to have made fun of my drawings. I don't want that to happen again." she responded, painful memories coming back to her.

"Well, they were dumb to think that then and they're still dumb if they still say that!" Percy confidently responded, a serious look on his face.

Annabeth smiled slowly. "Yeah, they were," she replied, though not sure herself. "But I'm NOT going to participate in the competition. End of story." Annabeth then looked up at the clock. "I have to head to the library to finish my English essay Percy. I'll see you in science class later," not looking back as she exited the cafeteria. Percy looked on as Annabeth left and sighed; gods, Annabeth had SO much talent and ability; it frustrated Percy that she couldn't see that. She just needed a confidence booster to show her.

 _Submit by October 2nd in the art room._

Percy then remembered something; a while back, for his birthday, Annabeth had given him her sketching rendition of the Brooklyn Bridge as a gift. Some days, after school, Percy would walk across the bridge with Annabeth to walk her to her house. She kept insisting it wasn't necessary; however, Percy wanted to do it; he liked walking with Annabeth.

Thus, Annabeth gave Percy the drawing as a present, a token of one of the memories they shared in their friendship. Percy absolutely loved it.

If he remembered, he kept the drawing in his locker so whenever he opened it was the first thing he'll see.

An idea began to form in his head.

Percy took in a deep breath as he went to his locker and grabbed the drawing.

 _Annabeth will either hate or love me for this._

Percy entered the art room to find the art teacher, Miss Bruce, there.

"Ah, Percy, how nice to see you!" she replied as she put her paintbrush down and turned to Percy. Miss Bruce was the 35-year-old art teacher at the school. She was almost always seen wearing an art robe and ripped pants. Percy had her for the 4th period each day. She was very nice and helpful, especially to a non-artsy person like Percy.

"So, how can I help you?" she asked.

"Uh, I'd like to submit something for the art/design competition thing."

"Oh really?" she remarked, looking a little surprised. Miss Bruce, likewise, knew Percy was not the artsy type. However, she quickly cleared her throat. "Well then, let's see what you have!"

"No, it's not me submitting. It's, uh, Annabeth that I want to submit for," he said as he handed Miss Bruce the drawing.

"Oh, oh yes, Annabeth!" Miss Bruce replied, her eyes lightening up "She's one of my top students! Have her for 2nd period. Such a lovely young girl. Wait, why are you submitting for her Percy?" she inquired.

"Um, she sort of doesn't know. I tried to convince her to enter but Annabeth kept saying no."

Miss Bruce nodded. "I understand that. Annabeth has so much talent; it's unfortunate she doesn't see that in herself, yet." Miss Bruce than analyzed the drawing; her eyes widened. "Wow, this drawing is phenomenal! Such detail and precision! Especially on the cars and pedestrians. Oh, and that shading technique she uses? Just wonderful! Wonderful! It really brings out the…"

"So, you like it?" Percy interjected in the middle of Miss Bruce's long praise eulogy. He was not looking for an art lesson now.

"Huh? Oh yes! Yes! Absolutely! It's wonderful! I have a feeling this piece will do well in the competition" she said, smiling, making Percy smile. "I just hope Annabeth doesn't take it too harshly that you're doing this behind her back," she commented.

"Well, I'm probably going to get my butt kicked for it but I'm willing to take the risk," Percy answered grinning, making Miss Bruce laugh.

"Very well then Percy. I will certainly make sure this gets submitted promptly! Have a great day!"

The next week of waiting was agonizing. The winner was going to be announced on October 9th. The buildup was almost too much for Percy.

Eventually, Annabeth had come to Percy to apologize for being dismissive of his suggestion. She told him that she was scared of getting critiqued and that Percy was right about trusting herself. She said she would consider entering the next art competition next spring. However, Percy said to her it was a no biggie. Annabeth looked at Percy suspiciously; Percy NEVER gave up that easily when it came to arguing her but she didn't think much of it.

Eventually, October 9th came. Percy was in his 1st-period math class, in the middle of a test. However, he couldn't focus for two reasons. First, it was a math test, duh. Second, and more importantly, he kept glancing anxiously at the announcement speaker, waiting for the winner to be announced.

Percy stared nervously at Annabeth, who was across the room intently focused on her test. Suddenly, the speakers started to crackle on.

"Students, we would like to announce the winner of the fall art and design competition!" the principal said. Percy was on the edge of his seat, nervous as hell as they were about to make the announcement. "And the winner is...chicken and tomato soup, oh shoot that's the lunch for today." The class snickered.

Percy groaned. _For all the times to mess up announcements, now you do it?_

"Oh, yes, here it is. Sorry about that. The winner of the art and design competition… is Annabeth Chase!"

Annabeth looked up, completely stunned. The math teacher looked at her, face ecstatic.

"Annabeth, congratulations! " she exclaimed, giving a big clap. The class, too, applauded respectfully for Annabeth along with Percy, who had a wide grin on his face.

"But, I didn't…"

"Annabeth Chase, can you please head to the principal's office to receive your award!"

"Annabeth, you should head to the principal's office. Unless you want to finish your test first of course." the teacher said.

"N..no I didn't finish, I..I mean yes, yes I'm finished with my test." Annabeth stuttered, still in a state of shock. She handed her test to the teacher and proceeded towards the door. As Annabeth left, she noticed Percy in the back, who was smiling massively.

 _Of course, Seaweed Brain! I should have known!_ She gave him a wicked side eye before she left.

Percy smiled. _Aww, how sweet._

The rest of the time Percy had, even more, trouble focusing on the math test, just anticipating the moment he would meet and congratulate Annabeth for winning. Eventually, the class ended; as Percy left, he was greeted with a hard punch by Annabeth.

"Ouch!" Percy yelled, rubbing his arm. Okay, not the reaction he was expecting. But, it was Annabeth so maybe it made sense.

"It was you!" she exclaimed, her face fierce.

"Well, first let me just say congratulations!" Percy began, getting over the pain of the punch. "Let me see your award!"

"I can't believe...where did you get...how did you…." she started, not sure how to respond. Annabeth eventually sighed out of frustration and punched him again.

"Ow! Hey, what the heck. What was that…?"

"Ugh, you're so freaking annoying Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth moaned.

Percy, though his arm was mostly likely bruised, couldn't help but smile. "See, Annabeth I told you that you would win! That's why you always trust the Seaweed Brain," he said smirking.

Annabeth wanted to look angry at Percy but she couldn't; deep down she was happy she won this competition; this was the first award she had ever gotten in her life. Further, the fact that it was for something she loved doing was even better.

"I guess I should say thank you." she managed.

"Well, that would be nice," Percy muttered. Suddenly, Annabeth came over and gave Percy a big hug.

"Thank you," she softly said, a little tear dropping from her eye onto Percy's shoulder as she was overcome with emotion. Percy smiled as Annabeth hugged him and hugged her back.

"So, does that mean you'll enter the spring competition?" he grinned.

"I...I guess. I have to defend my title so I'm pretty much forced to." she joked.

Throughout the rest of the school day, Percy's arm continued to bruise (he was certain he was going to have to see a doctor to check if it was okay). And Percy was sure he flunked that math test. However, that didn't matter; he was in a good mood; Annabeth had won the competition and was happy. If she was happy, Percy was happy.

* * *

 **First Phone**

The two got their first phones as Christmas gifts during 8th grade which, considering that most students already had smartphones, was late and quite lame. However, Annabeth and Percy were not complaining. They finally had a smartphone.

Initially, both of their parents were extremely hesitant, being as protective as they are. However, thanks to some very well planned nagging and thought out arguments put forth by Annabeth, they relented.

When they first got their phones, it was an absolute life changer; Annabeth was constantly playing chess or Sudoku and Percy, for the first week, was absolutely addicted to Angry Birds.

However, the big change? Text-messaging. Of course, they didn't know that many people in their school. However, they had each other's numbers. Which was more than enough.

WAY more than enough.

Whenever they weren't with each other, they would text. Day, morning, night. The total number of words they exchanged in their conversations could probably fill up a novel.

The general gist of their texts went like this:

 _Percy: Hey how's my wonderful, awesome beautiful Wise Girl doing =)_

 _Annabeth: Alright Seaweed Brain, cut to it, what do you need? I know you're not saying that to be nice._

 _Percy: Aww, you know me too well. But I do mean that._

 _Annabeth: You're SO sweet (NOT)!_

 _Percy: Shut up Wise Girl. Anyways, I need help with Question 4 on the math HW._

 _Annabeth: Ugh, I thought I explained it to you before!_

 _Percy: Yeah, but I kind of forgot. Besides, you're such a good friend._

 _Annabeth: You're SO annoying at times._

 _Percy: Annoying? Says the girl who accidentally spilled ketchup on me when we went out to eat at Shake Shack yesterday._

 _Annabeth: I thought you forgave me for that =(_

 _Percy: You started the "who's" more annoying" debate._

 _Annabeth: Okay, if you want to play that way Seaweed Brain. Says the one who keeps giving me immature nicknames at times!_

 _Percy: Says the one who keeps teasing me for accidentally walking into the girl's bathroom once!_

 _Annabeth: Says the one who's asking a girl for help for something she already helped him in!_

 _Percy: Ouch. Burn. Okay, I guess you got me._

 _Annabeth: You're lucky I like you. Here it is._ (Annabeth sends picture of math problem)

 _Percy: You're awesome =). How about lunch tomorrow after school on me?_

 _Annabeth: Pizza with olives?_

 _Percy: Of course. You think that I would forget that?_

 _Annabeth: Could've fooled me._

 _Percy: Shut up._

 _Annabeth: =)_

One night, Annabeth had just discovered emojis. As a joke, she sent him a picture of a kissing emoji right before she went to bed.

 _Percy: What's this?_

 _Annabeth: A kiss from your nonexistent girlfriend (stuck-out-tongue emoji)._ Annabeth was making fun of the fact that Percy didn't have a girlfriend.

 _Percy: Ha-ha very funny._ He then sent a text with the words _I (heart emoji) you from your imaginary boyfriend._ Annabeth did not have a boyfriend either. So that was sort of fair.

 _Annabeth: Oh, how immature!_

 _Percy: I can play this game too, you know._

They continued to this back and forth until they realized it was 1:00 am at night

 _Annabeth: Oh, my gods. It's 1:00 am_! It's so late!

 _Percy: Late? This is when I usually go to sleep._

 _Annabeth: Ah, so that explains why you're so cranky and annoying in the morning._

 _Percy: Gee thanks._

 _Annabeth: Lol. Well, I must go sleep. I'll see you tomorrow Seaweed Brain._

 _Percy: I love you, Wise Girl (wink emoji)- from your imaginary boyfriend_ Percy sent, continuing the joke. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

 _Annabeth: I love you too, Seaweed Brain (tongue-out emoji)- from your imaginary girlfriend._

They both sent their texts and put their phones down. Parts of them really did mean it; they loved each other. Of course, they would say it was a friend to friend kind of love.

That's it.

* * *

 **Pool "Incident"**

It was spring; Annabeth was beside Percy as he was practicing his freestyle swimming after school. Percy had recently joined his middle school's swimming team. Percy was hesitant at first but upon Annabeth's insistent and pointing out that it would be hypocritical if he didn't join, citing the art competition, Percy was left with no choice but to join the team.

While swimming, Percy couldn't help but glance repeatedly at Annabeth as she sat on the side of the pool, her feet skidding the surface of the water, reading her book. She looked great today. Annabeth was wearing a one-piece red and blue swimsuit that showed her slim figure. Her long blond hair was rolling down near her shoulders. Her gray eyes looked almost blue like the water and were sparkling.

She looked awesome.

 _What are you doing? She's your friend. She's helping you. Stop gawking at her._

But she looks amazing...

 _Stop it_!

"Percy, instead of looking at me, you should focus on swimming," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes.

"Um, oh yeah," Percy stuttered, blushing. Thankfully, he was far enough that Annabeth couldn't tell. Wanting to change the subject, he then added,

"Annabeth, why don't you come in here for a swim? The water's great!"

"Percy, I told you, I'm not that good at swimming."

"You're good enough," he replied.

"Good enough, not great." she pointed out.

"Ugh, you and your perfectionism." he groaned as Annabeth laughed.

"Come on Annabeth, what's the point of wearing a bathing suit if you don't want to swim?"

"Because I know that you're probably going to attempt at some point to splash some water on me as a joke. So, I'm taking the necessary precautions."

Percy whistled. "You're good," he replied making Annabeth smile.

"Alright, Seaweed Brain just do a few more laps and then we'll go. I'm starving." Percy continued down to the end of the pool, then made his way back up towards Annabeth to finish his lap. Annabeth found herself staring at Percy as he swam; his jet black hair wet and sweeping to one side. He still flashed that same sarcastic Percy smile as he swam. That smile, which Annabeth always found annoying, became more and more endearing. Through all the swimming practice, Percy had grown some muscle over the past few weeks; she didn't tell him but he looked much more handsome.

 _No. The word is hot._

Shut up Annabeth told her brain. He's your friend. Friends don't think that way of other friends.

Annabeth quickly turned back to her book. She was about to continue reading when, suddenly, Percy cried out.

"Annabeth help!" Annabeth looked up and saw Percy, who looked like he was struggling to keep afloat.

"Percy?" as she squinted at him; he looked like he was drowning

 _No, that couldn't be. Percy's great at swimming! He's just messing with me._

"Annabeth help please!" Percy repeated. His voice sounded serious. He was still struggling to keep afloat. Annabeth's heart skipped two beats; oh, my gods; Percy was drowning! She frantically looked up at the lifeguard stand for help; unfortunately, he had taken a quick, badly timed bathroom break, leaving her in the pool alone with Percy.

She looked outside and thought about calling for help. However, by the time the help came, it might be too late.

Percy was still yelling for help. Annabeth had to down something, quick.

There was only one thing left to do She jumped into the water and swam after him. Annabeth swam as hard as she could, calling out to Percy every now and then. Eventually, when she got to Percy's spot in the pool, Annabeth looked around to find him. However, one problem. Percy was floating now. He was looking directly at her, grinning.

"Glad you could come out here. Told you the water is great."

"OH, MY GODS PERCY!" she screamed, a wave of ferocious anger overcoming her.

"YOU STUPID, IDIOT SEAWEED BRAIN!"

"Annabeth, I'm a great swimmer. You didn't think I drowned, did you?

"UGH, YOU ARE SO..AGGRAVATING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN TROUBLE!" she shouted.

"Hey, I'm sorry for tricking you. I really am. I just wanted you to come out and swim with me. It seemed like you were pretty above okay in swimming."

Annabeth didn't know whether to tackle Percy in a hug or just plain tackle him. Impulsively, Annabeth grabbed some water and threw it on his face.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get for lying to me!"

"Oh, it SO on then." Percy then returned the favor and splashed water on Annabeth's face. The two then broke out into a full water fight. Annabeth's anger eventually subsided, replaced with laughing as they traded blows splashing water at one another.

"Stop it, Percy!" Annabeth giggled as she tried to swim away from Percy, who was relentless in his water splashing.

"Make me, Wise Girl." Eventually, Percy reached Annabeth and wrestled her in a grip lock. Annabeth was laughing hysterically as she squirmed and pushed, trying to get out of Percy's lock. However, he was strong.

"Ha-ha, I won!"

"Ugh, okay, fine," she moaned.

They turned towards each other, face to face. They were now SO close to each other, their eyes, their noses. They could feel each other's breaths.

Annabeth couldn't help but glance at Percy's lips. Percy likewise. _They were so close._ There were an awkward few seconds of silence as they continued staring at each other.

Uh...

Eventually, they heard some sounds coming from the back; the lifeguard had come back. They quickly broke off their hug and tried to make it look like they were doing some normal things.

"Okay kids, it's time to leave. Pool's closing," the lifeguard said as he pointed to the clock. 5 o clock. Annabeth and Percy quickly got out of the pool and went to go change into their clothes.

They two of them did not mention a word about the little incident as they headed to Five Guys for dinner. They joked and chatted, though more subdued than usual;. They were still both thinking about what happened in the pool.

However, there was just a silent agreement that they wouldn't talk about it. After all, it was just a little incident. No intent.

* * *

 **Necklaces and Confessions**

It was finally the end of eighth grade. After a long and grueling school year, finally; it was summer. Following a long 2-month vacation, they would both entering CHB High School in downtown Manhattan as freshmen.

Percy and Annabeth had changed so much over the past 2 years. Annabeth was becoming a more confident person; she started trusting herself more and taking pride in what she did. Percy, likewise, had become softer and gentler, unlike the wild nature that got him expelled from multiple schools, clear influences of Annabeth.

Today Percy, as usual, was walking Annabeth home across the Brooklyn Bridge. It would be their final walk for quite a while. The weather outside was warm and sunny. There was a sort of "lazy New York summer atmosphere" sense in the air; the pedestrians and tourists were all going about their business in a casual and laidback way. A slight and gentle breeze began to settle across the city.

Everything was perfect.

Annabeth and Percy were standing in the middle of the bridge peering over the East River, which seemed to glisten in the sun, as they started and admired the surrounding buildings. Annabeth was commenting on the One World Trade Center, which was standing tall and majestic. She was explaining to Percy all the architectural dimensions of the building, the way it was constructed, the blueprints.

However, Percy was half-listening; instead, he was staring and admiring Annabeth, who looked astounding. She was wearing a green tank top and blue jeans. Her long blond hair was flowing gently in the direction of the breeze. Her gray eyes were sparkling. Annabeth had a big smile on her face.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Annabeth stated, looking at Percy.

 _Yeah, you're incredible_ Percy shook that thought away.

"Oh, yeah, incredible. Um, what are you talking about?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Were you listening to anything I was talking about?"

"Sort of. I, uh...the wind was kind of loud at the last part." Percy quickly said. Annabeth looked like she was about to punch him. Instead, she just laughed, "I was just mentioning how the One World Trade Center was built from 40,000 metric tons of steel. Can you imagine that?

"That's a big number," Percy noted. Annabeth smirked at Percy's obvious statement.

"Great observation," she stated sarcastically. Annabeth then peered off into the horizon, deep in thought. "You know I want to do that. Build something strong and permanent like the One World Trade Center."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, not following what Annabeth was getting at.

"It's just, buildings. They're permanent. They don't come down. Just like the old famous Greek architectural places that I read about in history. They're still there if you visit! I just...I feel like my whole life has always been a big, constant moving mess Percy. My parents, friendships; nothing has ever stayed the same!"

"Hey," he said, trying to stop and comfort her. But she continued.

"And now, we're entering high school! A new place! New teachers. New people. I'm..I'm worried and scared Percy." Annabeth began, fear present in her eyes.

"Hey, the point is we're going to be together. As long as we're together, everything will be okay." Percy said, grabbing Annabeth's shoulder and resting his hand on it.

"Just know this, we're still going to remain friends. No matter what, I'm not leaving you anytime soon."

Annabeth smiled at Percy. "As long as we're together," she repeated. She then turned to him, her eyes on the verge of tears. "I'm...I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. You always make me feel so confident about myself. I.. I feel like I can do anything when I'm with you."

"I mean, you always had the ability to do anything. You just needed some encouragement," he noted.

Annabeth lit up at the comment. "And you always have the ability to say the sweetest things, Seaweed Brain." she said, smiling.

They continued to enjoy the view for the time being. Eventually, Percy said. "I think we should be going now. It's getting late. Your babysitter will be angry if you get home after 6. And I do NOT want to make her angry." Annabeth frowned; she didn't want this moment to end. Percy was right though.

However, before they left, Annabeth stated. "Percy, I want to give you something." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out two necklaces, both with some blue beads on it, Percy's favorite color.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"It's a reminder, of our friendship," she said as Annabeth fastened the necklace around Percy's neck. She then fastened her own necklace on herself.

Percy looked at his necklace, touching the blue beads. They were shiny and glossy. It must have cost Annabeth a ton. "Wow, this...this is great Annabeth. I...I don't know what to say…". he said. Percy started to tear up a bit.

"You don't need to say anything. I wanted to give you this. And, it's not as great as that sketchbook you gave me before." she joked.

"Well, OBVIOUSLY." Percy joked back, smirking as Annabeth smiled, rolling her eyes again, giving Percy her usual punch on his shoulder. Percy smiled; he was getting used to these punches by now; it was Annabeth's way of showing her affection to him. They then continued to walk down the bridge, both with big smiles on their faces.

They didn't know what the near future held for them, especially in high school. But, they did know this; they at least had each other. As best friends. And that was all that mattered.

 **(A/N: In this scene, I am referring to the One World Trade Center, which was built as a symbol against the terrorists that we would not be scared or cower in fear after the horrific events of 9/11 (RIP to those who died) . It was built to be "permanent", a "strong" way to stand up to the evil displayed. This is just clarification for my statement.**

 **Sincere apologies if you mis-interpreted it.)**

* * *

 **Well, that's the end. Told you there would be lots of Percabeth and tension. Yes, you can squeal for how cute that was haha. I love that caring relationship they show to one another.  
**

 **Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed it! Favs, follow, and reviews are always appreciated. As stated, the next chapter will be the start of their high school years.**

 **Thanks again and have a splendid day.**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	3. Chapter 3- Being Honest

**Chapter 3. Drum roll please.**

 **As stated, we start during Percy and Annabeth's junior year of high school. We'll see that quite a lot has changed since we last left our two little ones. There are also more characters introduced from the PJO series.**

 **So that's always great.**

 **Also, I will be reflecting some of my personal music tastes in this chapter and proceeding ones. I'm a big EDM/progressive house person so sorry for those who don't like that sort of genre. I do, however, highly recommend you listen to the song I will mention.** **It's one of my all-time favorites. Plus it's so damn good :D.  
**

 **(A/N: Forgive for any spelling or sentence structure errors)  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Being Honest**

 **Take a chance**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Hey. I'm Percy Jackson. I'm currently a 16-year-old junior at CHB High School.

If you were to ask me who one of my closest friends in school is, I would have said Annabeth Chase without thinking twice. She is and will continue to be, my best friend. It's crazy to think that I've known her since we were both 12. We've done and experienced everything together. Go to the movies, eating out; I've done all of them with Annabeth. Whenever I had a problem, she's the first person I turn to and likewise.

Okay, I should clear something up about my friend status with her. _(Clearing Throat)._ I, uh, I have a crush. I have a crush on Annabeth.

 _There I said it! My friends told me that just admitting and being open about it would make me feel better. I definitely do NOT feel better!_

So yeah, I sort of have a small crush on Annabeth. Ok, I'm just lying to myself again, I have a HUGE crush on Annabeth.

I think I first developed it when I was in 8th grade. We had been friends for over a year. I liked how Annabeth was such a warm and sweet person, unlike all the kids that I'd dealt with in my old schools. I could always be open and honest with her. Annabeth was also such a smart and strong person even though she didn't feel the same or showed it at times. I knew they were qualities Annabeth always possessed which I admired.

However, the turning point was probably our last day of middle school. We were on the Brooklyn Bridge together. As a surprise, Annabeth gave me a friendship necklace as a gift, which I still wear and cherish today.

And, maybe, that was when my like for her turned into a crush.

A big one.

I never had the courage to ask Annabeth out though, unfortunately. Why do you ask? Well, for one, I honestly didn't think Annabeth would consider me "boyfriend" material. I mean fidgety, sarcastic Percy is boyfriend with the smart and beautiful girl? Yeah, that didn't register. Two, I didn't know if Annabeth returned the same feelings I had for her. I was afraid that if I confessed my true feelings, she would say no and our friendship will forever be ruined. And that is the last thing I want. I'd rather continue to just be friends than losing her entirely.

Thinking back to the first time we met, it amazes me how much Annabeth has changed compared to now. She is a much more confident person who took pride in her skills, unlike her old reclusive self. Annabeth currently is on the girl's track team, academic decathlon, and National Honor Society. She also manages to find time to continue to do her amazing architecture sketches.

Also, Annabeth's looks.

 _Her looks_!

I mean, to me growing up, she was always very pretty but now, she's just ridiculously beautiful. Puberty both hit us at around 13-14. While it created unfortunate consequences for myself, for Annabeth, it was a godsend. She had grown more athletic and muscular. Her luscious blond hair was longer, cute gray eyes more beautiful than ever.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the guys began to notice how hot she was becoming as well. Of course, Annabeth never took notice of any of them, which at first I was glad for.

However, she then met Luke Castellan.

Luke was one of the most popular kids in the CHB junior class. A year older than both of us, Luke was the captain of the football and basketball team. He was extremely rich as well. His dad Hermes was the owner of multiple casinos around the country. Luke also lived in an apartment along Central Park West that dwarfed my mini Upper East Side apartment. Luke was also quite attractive; he had sandy blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and an extremely muscular figure.

He was basically a teenage version of Leonardo di Caprio.

Annabeth had developed a crush on him starting around sophomore year. I honestly didn't understand why. It was pretty common knowledge that he was a player. He had dated nearly all of the popular girls in school at some point to only dump them. However, it wasn't his looks that Annabeth was attracted to like most girls. It was his personality. That's the thing about Annabeth. She was a person who valued personality over looks. And Luke had always acted so sweet and kind to her before they dated. Though I didn't know if this was just an act on his part, Annabeth had too good of a heart to think that negatively of him.

One day, in the spring of sophomore year, Luke had finally asked her out. Annabeth was ecstatic. It was the first time someone had asked her out. Of course, she said yes. She now had her first boyfriend, all while I watched in heartbreak.

Ever since they started dating, they began spending more time with one another. At the same time, it seemed as if Annabeth and I started to grow more distant. I mean, we still texted and talked to each other but it wasn't at the same frequency like before in middle school or freshman year. Usually, at lunch, Annabeth would always sit with me and our group of friends. However, now, she almost always sat with Luke and the other cool kids in the school. After school, the two of us would always head to our favorite pizza or burger chain in New York. Now, Annabeth would spend time with Luke cheering him on during his football and basketball practices.

This past summer, Luke and Annabeth had gone to Greece for vacation. Annabeth was absolutely excited. She had always told me that one of her dreams was to visit Greece to be able to view the amazing architecture there. The days prior, Annabeth had texted me and asked constantly for advice on how to prepare.

I could tell Annabeth was really nervous about the trip.

I told her not to worry and to enjoy herself.

From the photos she kept texting me of her and Luke in front of sites like the Parthenon and the Acropolis, Annabeth looked like she was enjoying herself. I would always stare at these photos of Annabeth and Luke, smiling, laughing, and kissing one another in Greece and sigh. I was the one that wanted to be there with Annabeth. I felt like I should be there, as HER boyfriend, instead of him.

But, it was just a dream. We would always just be friends. That's it.

I looked at my seashell watch. _7:15 am._ _Crap._ I was supposed to meet up with Grover at around 7:25 at the subway. I hadn't even showered, ate, or anything for that matter! _Damn it, I was lost in my stupid feelings, yet again!_ I quickly ran out of my room and rushed to the bathroom, took a quick shower, put on some clothes and headed to the kitchen. I was greeted by the wonderful smell of pancakes and the less wonderful sight of my mom glaring at me.

"Well, it's about time you wake up Percy! You're going to be late for your first day of school if you don't hurry!"

"Sorry, mom. I, uh, overslept." I quickly said. My mom tried to keep her angry expression at me, but honestly, I don't think she can keep that for more than 3 seconds. She's that positive of a person.

Mom eventually sighed, "Ok then Percy but be quick! You have to meet up with Grover soon, right?"

I nodded my head as I wolfed down my blue pancakes and drank my orange juice. Pretty soon, I was stuffed.

I remarked, "Mom, don't you think I'm too old for blue pancakes?"

"Percy, you're never too old for blue food, " she said smiling. "Besides, even if you insisted that I stop doing it, I would still make your food blue," she added as mom pinched my face. I smiled.

 _Of course. My mom is just like me. Stubborn_.

"I better get going soon, mom. I'll see you later. " I kissed her goodbye. Before I headed out, my mom asked out loud. "Percy, I wanted to ask..is Annabeth okay?"

I winced at the mention of Annabeth's name. "Yeah mom, she's alright. Uh, why do you ask?"

"I haven't seen her in so long..." mom replied, expression bleak.

"Yeah, she's really busy now. Annabeth's um, currently dating this kid named Luke. " I quickly responded, really wanting to change the subject. My mom's expression saddened even more. She had always liked Annabeth a lot. Whenever she would come to our house, mom always treated Annabeth like a daughter. I also think mom wanted me to date Annabeth so she could officially call her that.

"Percy, whatever happens, you need to always stay and be close to Annabeth. She is as much a part of your life as you are to her." my mom said, her expression serious.

"Um t..thanks for that," I answered, taken aback by her words. I quickly tried to forget my conversation with mom as I walked towards the Lexington Ave 63rd street station to see Grover there standing outside.

"Hey, how you've been G-Man?" I asked, giving Grover a big high five.

Grover grinned. "Other than freezing my ass off the last 10 minutes, nothing much. You ready for school?"

"Absolutely not." I sarcastically said.

"Same. Let's head in." We headed into the subway and hopped onto the downtown F Train to our school. Other than Annabeth, Grover was probably my 2nd best friend in school. We had been friends in 4th grade until I got expelled. Luckily, in high school, we reconnected and ever since, he's been one of my closest pals.

On the subway, I was relistening to one of my new favorite songs at the moment: It was a remix of _The Chainsmokers-Honest_ by _Tritonal._ I offered one of my earbuds to Grover.

"Dude, you have to listen to this song. It's awesome! Especially the drop." He took the earbud. Grover's face soured.

"Ba-ha-ha! How can you listen to this type of music?"

"Hey, Annabeth and I like EDM!" I defensively exclaimed. That was true. Annabeth and I both shared a passion for EDM/Progressive House music. Annabeth put it best as to why. EDM music made you feel instantly euphoric and carefree, helping you forget all of the problems you were facing and just enjoy yourself.

 _Whoa_.

I then added. "Plus, it's much better than that rap stuff that you like."

 **(A/N: I don't hate rap. Just mainstream rap. Just a little joke boys and girls don't hate me :D)**

Grover shook his head in disapproval. "You don't know what you're missing. Speaking of Annabeth, how is she?"

"Oh, um, she's fine," I quickly stated, trying to change the subject. "She texted me last night. Annabeth told me she just got back from Greece with Luke. That's all/."

"Oh really? That's all Annabeth texted you?" Grover incredulously asked, scrunching his eyes, smirking.

"What? Oh, don't you DARE bring up my crush on her again! I thought we agreed to NOT talk about it!" Grover and a few of my other friends knew of my crush with Annabeth. I had accidentally made it known in a Freudian slip when we were playing truth and dare at his house once. Thankfully, Annabeth was not there. She was out with Luke.

However, the damage had been done.

So, maybe I kind of deserved getting embarrassed by these questions.

"Oh, come on man, when are you going to man up and make a move on her? You two are perfect for each other!"

"Hey, first of all, to state the obvious, she's already taken! Second, do you really think she'll leave Luke for me? The guy who's basically a walking god to all females he goes up to!"

"You know Annabeth Percy. She's not into that looks stuff. She's a character person and you two have so much in common! You both are goofy, sarcastic, have the same bad tastes in music..."

"Hey!" I argued, to both his music comment and to counter his point. But I couldn't. Grover was right. Annabeth was a person who valued a guy's character over his looks.

Grover ignored my protests and continued, "I honestly don't know what Annabeth sees in Luke. That whole sweet act is such bs. And, the worse thing. He's a Red Sox fan! A RED SOX FAN! A Yankees fan dating a Red Sox fan!

"Wait, he is?" I exclaimed in surprise. However, I quickly asserted. "Well, uh, maybe opposites attract. That's the saying, right?"

"Yeah but a Yankees/Red Sox couple? That's like REALLY opposite." Grover cleared his throat. "I'm just telling you Percy. You and Annabeth were meant for each other. You gotta take the jump and go for it."

"Easy for you to say. You have the girl already, Juniper." Grover had been dating his long-time crush Juniper for around 6 months.

"Yeah but I TOOK the chance. When are you?" Grover posed, looking at me, almost, sympathetically. He then turned away and peered straight ahead, listening to his music in silence for the rest of the train ride. I also did the same. However, my mind was occupied with Annabeth.

 _Would Annabeth want me over Luke?_

No, Luke is perfect.

 _But, I like her._

But she's taken!

I screamed to myself at these thoughts.

 _Ugh! Why can't I get Annabeth out of my head_!

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

It's really hard to be disappointed going on an overseas summer vacation trip with my boyfriend.

However, one big thing kept me from fully enjoying it.

Don't get me wrong, the trip was incredible. And I would go again, definitely. Luke and I went to almost all of the big name historical attractions in Greece. We ate out at some wonderful restaurants.

Yet, throughout, one nagging thought kept plaguing me.

 _I wish Percy were here with me._

When we were younger, I had always told Percy that my dream was to visit Greece. We always imagined that when we were older, we would go together since we did everything together. My dream had come true. Yet, the fact that Percy could not go with me really hurt. I was sending Percy pictures throughout the trip, partly so I could at least somewhat share my experience with him.

Thinking about Percy during the trip made me realize that we both hadn't hanged out as much since I started dating Luke the last months. We still talked somewhat and exchanged the occasional texts.

But that was about it.

I felt guilty. Gosh, I was so consumed with trying to be a good girlfriend with Luke that I had neglected Percy, and my other friends, throughout these past months.

I had been selfish.

I was so lost in my thoughts during breakfast morning that I didn't realize I was unconsciously stirring my cornflakes for a while, not taking one bite. My babysitter, Samantha, looked at me with a concerned look. "Annabeth, are you alright?" she asked.

"Huh?" I looked up from my cereal, coming back to reality. First, I should mention, yes, I still have a babysitter. Don't judge me! Samantha is extremely nice and caring. I've known her for the past 2 years. I consider her the mom I never had throughout these years.

Second, my father is a world-renowned history and war professor at Oxford University. He's often traveling to various places for research so he's rarely home. I'm kind of sad I don't see him as much. He had to move when I was 7 for work.

Samantha resumed."You still jet-lagged from yesterday sweetie?"

"No. I feel alright."

"You didn't like the trip huh?"

"No..no! That's not it. I had a great time with Luke! It's just, I kind of wished Percy was there with me. " I finally, being honest with her, Samantha nodded sympathetically. She met Percy a few times a while back.

"I remember Percy. Lovely boy. You guys still keep in touch at least?"

"Yeah," However, the way I sounded, Samantha wasn't convinced.

"You don't sound sure,.. she noted.

"Hey, what do you know?" I exclaimed, getting protective. I then caught myself, realizing I had lost my temper. "Oh, my gods. I'm sorry Samantha. I don't know what got over me."

"Hey, it's alright Annabeth."

"No, no, it's not. I..I guess you're right Samantha. I haven't been talking to Percy as much as I would like to ever since I've started dating Luke."

Samantha put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth, you need to keep that bond with Percystrong. He's been your best friend since, what, 12? Just because it's high school, you can't let him get away!" There was a part of me that wanted to say that she was wrong, that Percy and I were still pretty close. But Samantha was right.

"Thanks for the advice, Samantha. I should leave now."

"Alright, Annabeth. I'll see you later. Take care. And, remember what I said." I headed out and decided to go walk to school across the Brooklyn Bridge, my mind still on my conversation with Samantha.

I could have taken the subway but I had some extra time. Plus, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my favorite sites in NYC. When I was in middle school, Percy would routinely walk across with me on the Bridge to my home. I kept insisting that he shouldn't. His apartment was in the Upper East Side and it would be too much of a nuisance for him to go downtown and then back up just for me.

Yet, Percy kept doing so, saying he liked walking with me.

And, I did too.

I sighed. _I miss those times._

* * *

 **Awkwardness**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

We arrived at the Fulton Center stop in downtown Manhattan at around 8:00 am. From there, it was a quick 3-minute walk to our school. We entered through the front entrance.

I stood for a while peering down the hallway at the crowd of kids that gathered. It reminded me of my first day of high school freshman year. Annabeth and I were paralyzed to move an inch further from the same spot I was standing in. We had to literally drag each other down the hallway to be able to move.

 _Ugh, Annabeth. Stop thinking about her._

"Hey, I'll see you later. I'm gonna go find Juniper," Grover said as he headed opposite my direction. He didn't meet my eyes. Grover was probably still upset at the way I reacted to his suggestion I ask Annabeth out.

Sighing, I proceeded down the hallway, trying to look for my other friends. I then saw Jason Grace near his locker, alongside his girlfriend Piper McLean.

"Percy? Is that you? How are you, man!" Jason exclaimed as he ran towards me and gave me a big bro hug. I returned Jason's hug and fist bumped him.

"Hey, it's great to see you to man! And of course, the lovely Piper, I couldn't forget you!" I grinned as I gave Piper a big hug as well. "How were your two's summers?"

Piper smiled, her eyes getting dreamy. "Romantic. Jason took me on some walks along the East River. It was incredible."

Jason reddened. "Piper! We didn't have to tell Percy that!"

"But I wanted to." Piper mischievously stated. I smiled; Jason and Piper had hooked up about a year ago and been a happy couple ever since. Jason was the star runner on the CHB men's track team and Piper was the head of the drama club. The two had such great chemistry together.

 _Like you and Annabeth..._

 _Ugh, FORGET ANNABETH STUPID BRAIN! "_ I almost forgot to ask, where's the rest of the gang?" I posed trying to clear my mind, asking about Frank, Leo, and Hazel.

"Hazel texted me that she and Frank were on the way here. Leo, I don't know about Leo. I called him last night and he said he was still tinkering with whatever his new invention is. Only the gods know if he's still working on it..." Piper joked.

"If I know Leo, " I muttered, "He's probably still working on it now and completely lost track of time, as well as his sense of reality." Jason and Piper laughed as they took turns playfully prodding me on the shoulder. Annabeth and I met these five during freshman year in our ancient Greek language class. Our teacher, Mr. Dionysus, was an absolute ass and made our lives miserable for the entire period. We bonded over that fact and did everything we could to get back at Mr. D. Like, one day, Mr. D fell asleep just as class was starting. We were able to switch the clocks and convince him that class had already ended. We all left to go get cheeseburgers.

Ever since we've all been great friends. Oh, and if you're wondering, they all know about my crush on Annabeth as well.

So that's just great.

As if the gods were playing a cruel joke, my eyes drifted to the front. I saw a person slowly turn the corner.

My heart skipped seven beats.

It was Annabeth.

 _Oh, gods..._

Annabeth was walking towards me, waving hello to everyone around her. She had this aura of confidence and independence to her as she gracefully strolled. It struck me that this was the same girl I knew from middle school. Annabeth looked incredible today. She wore an orange fall sweater and some grey training pants that showed off her well-toned legs. Her shiny blonde hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, grey eyes lit up and sparkling. Annabeth was also wearing makeup, which was weird. It's not because she didn't look great in it. (heck, anything Annabeth wore looked great on her).

However, Annabeth didn't need to wear makeup. She was beautiful just the way she was.

 _Whoa..._

Jason and Piper smiled, noticing Annabeth. They then decided to silently leave. That left me pretty much alone. _Great_. _Just great._ Annabeth looked at my direction. Her eyes beamed. She gave the biggest, cutest smile and ran towards me.

"Seaweed Brain! I missed you!"

I resisted the urge to hyperventilate. I gave Annabeth my usual sarcastic grin. "Hey Wise Girl! Missed you too!." Annabeth tackled me into a bear hug. As she hugged me, butterflies began to churn in my stomach.

 _Oh, man, she feels so warm and nice. And is that coconut shampoo I smell? Oh shoot.._

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Walking down the hallway, I was politely smiling and waving to all the girls and guys. People said I exhibited conviction while walking. Truthfully, it was all an act. I still felt extremely uncomfortable with this new "popularity" label that was put on me when I started dating Luke.

I was never the popular girl in school. Frankly, I hated the label.

I then saw Percy, who was by the lockers. I reserved my biggest, genuine smile for him. I felt instantly comfortable as I ran towards him. Percy had that ability to do that.

"Seaweed Brain! I missed you!" Percy flashed me his patented sarcastic smile as he hugged me back. "Hey Wise Girl! I missed you too!"

I warmed at his embrace. Gosh, hugging Percy felt wonderful. I then released him and gave Percy my signature Annabeth punch to the shoulders.

"Ouch." he yelped. "I guess we're back to our usual routine, huh?" Percy grinned as I smiled. "You're still the same old Annabeth. So...how was Greece? The photos you sent looked great!" Percy asked excitedly.

I first got a little sad, my mind going back earlier morning on my thoughts of Percy. However, I didn't want to show that disappointment. Percy looked eager to hear about my trip.

"It ..it was good. The buildings were beautiful. Especially the Parthenon. The stone pillars inside. My goodness, did you know they were all constructed from pure marble?"

"I was asking more about the people, the food, and the landscape but architecture facts are fine as well." he joked. I grinned and laughed. I really missed Percy's humor.

"Of course I was getting to that Seaweed Brain. Besides the buildings, everything else was great, especially the food. Luke and I dined out a lot. I was getting sick of Greek hummus after day one."

"That sounds great." I noticed Percy's smile dip a little after mentioning Luke. However, his smile quickly came back. "Oh my gods Annabeth, I almost forgot. I wanted to show you this. Have you heard this new song? I've been meaning to show you! It's a remix of _The Chainsmokers-Honest_ by _Tritonal_." Percy pulled his phone out and pressed play. "I think you'll love it."

We started bopping our heads up and down as we heard the song. Percy was right; it was really good. Man, after being inundated with all of Luke's mainstream rap music throughout the trip, this was refreshing.

Then the drop came.

I didn't realize it but I started dancing, just moving my hips, to the music. It took Percy's laughing for me to realize what I was doing.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked, frowning.

"You're dancing!" he exclaimed.

"What, I am?" I stated, a little red-faced. But Percy quickly added. "No, it's... cute. Terrible, but cute."

 _Cute? Wait did he call me cute or...no he's talking about my dancing. Of course, Seaweed Brain is talking about my dancing_! I then smirked.

"Well, at least I CAN dance unlike you!"

"Oh, you really don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

"Bring it, Seaweed Brain." I exclaimed.

"Alright Wise Girl." Before we knew it, we were having a little dance-off. Some of the other students in the hallway were looking at us like we were crazy. I honestly didn't care what they thought. I was having an awesome time!

Percy, as I expected, was really bad. His timing was off, he had no rhythm whatsoever in his moves. However, it was pretty cute.

 _In a friend to friend way!_

After the song stopped I sarcastically stated, "Cute dancing Seaweed Brain."

"Shut up you Wise Girl." However, we ended up laughing and giggling. Man, I forgot how much fun I had with Percy. At that moment, I began to think back to what Samantha had told me in the morning.

 _You need to keep that bond with him strong Annabeth..._

"Percy," I slowly started. I wanted to tell him how much I missed his friendship over the past few months. That I missed hanging out with him.

However, out of the corner of the hallway, someone turned. It was my boyfriend, Luke, alongside Drew (hate her) and my friend Silena (love her).

Percy's smile faded. He had a worried expression as he saw Luke approach us. "I, uh, I have to get to my first-period class Annabeth! I'll see you around!" Percy then hurriedly departed, not turning back once.

"Percy, wait!" I tried calling out but he was already gone.

The good feeling inside of me faded. Luke suddenly came up behind and gave me a little jab in the back.

"Ow!" I said out loud. The first thing I noticed was the cologne. Luke had put on quite a lot this morning. It was way too pungent. My nose almost wanted to jump from my body.

"Sorry," Luke uttered weakly. "So, how's my Annabeth doing?" he grinned.

I forced a smile. I was still feeling down but I didn't want to show that around Luke. "I'm .. I'm okay. I think I'm still jet-lagged from the trip."

Luke laughed. I couldn't help but compare his laugh to Percy's. It wasn't as soft as his. It had a bit more..bitterness to it.

 _No, no, you can't think like that. Luke is your boyfriend!_

Luke and I stood near each other in awkward silence for a good 10 seconds, neither of us sure how to proceed. I then broke the silence and said. "I, um, better head to my art class Luke. I'll see you in math later."

"Alright, Annabeth. See ya!" Luke then left alongside Drew, who was giving me the side eye unbeknownst to him. Drew Tanaka was the stereotypical mean popular girl at CHB High School. I knew she wanted to date Luke badly. Of course, he was my boyfriend. So I was Drew number one enemy.

Silena then stared at me, concern present. Silena Beauregard was one of my close friends in high school. It's hard to think that she and Drew were half-sisters. They were nothing alike! Drew was bitter, Silena soft and warm-hearted.

"Are you sure you're fine Annabeth?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Like I said, I'm just jet-lagged Sils. That's all." Silena continued to eye me with concern, like she wasn't convinced with my answer. However, she finally said, "Alright then. We should get to art class before it's late."

 _Yeah, I'm fine_ I repeated to myself as Silena and I headed down the hallway. _I'm just jet-lagged. It's normal to feel that way after a long trip, right?_

 _Or maybe I'm Percy-lagged._

Stop it, I told myself.

* * *

 **Truth or Dare**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I hate HATE having a crush. It makes you act like a complete idiot sometimes.

I was first laughing and goofing around with Annabeth in the hallways. The next thing you know, I see her boyfriend Luke approaching us and I panic immediately. I turned away and left. I heard Annabeth calling my name out but I did NOT want to be anywhere near her with Luke around. It just reminded me how Annabeth and I would always just be friends. How she would never return my feelings for her.

The rest of the school day I had trouble concentrating on anything. Having self-diagnosed ADHD combined with being obsessed with a girl DID NOT help at all.

Thankfully, lunch came quickly. As usual, I was sitting with my friends. Jason and Piper, along with Frank and Hazel. Frank was a tight end for the football team with Luke. He had the correct, bulky build to play the position. However, his personality did not match that of a stereotypical football player. Frank was one of the nicest, friendliest guys I've ever met. He also, secretly, was not a fan of Luke like I was. His girlfriend, Hazel, sat right next to him holding his hand. She was a Southern girl, originally from New Orleans, who moved here when she was younger. Hazel was an avid horse lover who was a member of an equestrian club in NYC. That was cool being a fan of horses myself.

Frank, Hazel, and I have a very close bond. We consider each other almost like siblings. I first met the two in one of my elementary schools I was kicked out. The two had been bullied constantly in school by a guy named Octavian, who goes to school here as well.

 _How great._

However, I had stood up for them at one point. Unfortunately, Octavian was able to trick the principal into thinking that I instigated the fight. As a result, I was kicked out. I hadn't heard from them until 7th grade, where we reconnected via Facebook.

Thankfully, I reconnected with Frank and Hazel at CHB high school. Ever since then, we've been great friends. The two are forever grateful for what I did for them and constantly look up to me as their role model.

That always made me uncomfortable.

At our lunch table, we were just talking about how our summer vacations went when Leo Valdez burst in from the hallways. His eyes were bloodshot. Hair a ruffled mess. Leo was tightly gripping a large 20 oz can of Red Bull, taking huge gulps, as he stumbled his way towards us.

"Dude, what the hell happened to you?" Jason asked.

Leo scooted over next to Jason. "Well, I was up all night working on my new, _incredible_ invention! It's a way to make more girls attracted to you if they're not ALREADY attracted to me! Hopefully, it works out as I just missed like most of the school day." he grilled.

"I called it!" I told Jason. He laughed and we high-fived each other. Leo glared at me. "Hey man, I'm telling you. It will work! I could finally ask out Calypso! " he said wistfully.

"Uh, does your invention thing also come included with soap and shower? Because, as a girl and your good friend Leo, a guy that forgets to shower is NOT attractive. And I'm sure Calypso would say the same." Piper teased as she played around with Leo's ruffled hair

"Hey, Pipes! I may not have Jason-like charm but I got Leo-charm. And I know you like that! " he stated with a proud smile on his face. Piper rolled her eyes and laughed, as well as the rest of us. Leo was THE joker in our gang. For the rest of time, we continued talking about our summers.

However, in the middle, I kind of zoned out of the conversation as I peered across to Annabeth's table in the front of the cafeteria. Looking at who sat next to her, I didn't understand how Annabeth could tolerate sitting there. I mean aside from Silena who, from the conversations I had with her, was a pretty nice girl, and her boyfriend Charles Beckendorf (I was also cool with him), everyone else there was either a total douche or super annoying. Like the Stoll brothers. They were the king of pranks at CHB High School. They were also notoriously good scam artists and gifted at the art of stealing. I always kept one hand in my wallet whenever I was near them.

There was also Drew Tanaka.

Ugh, Drew.

I don't think there are enough words available to describe how much of an asshole she is. She had once tried to unsuccessfully frame that Piper cheated on Jason so she would be able to date him. It had not worked and the two are forever angered for that. Or, once, she tried to make Silena hate her boyfriend, Charles, just because she thought it would be entertaining and funny.

 _Funny!_

So, in simple terms, Drew sucks.

I continued looking at Annabeth through lunch, staring at her again, admiring. All of a sudden, she looked up from the table and locked eyes with mine.

I quickly looked away from Annabeth. However, she most likely noticed my action. I cursed to myself silently.

 _I need to stop gawking at Annabeth!_

Suddenly, to my surprise, Annabeth stood up and started walking towards my table, along with Silena.

 _Oh crap. She was headed to my table! Oh crap, oh crap._

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Entering lunch, I was still feeling down.

I shouldn't have felt that way. My day had gone pretty well so far. I liked all of my classes and teachers. I was reconnecting with most of my friends.

However, I was still thinking about earlier morning in the hallway, where Percy had suddenly left before I could tell him what I felt. Percy always seemed nervous around Luke, not wanting to be near him. I had always suspected that it was because, being a guy, Percy wanted to keep his respectful distance away from me to not offend Luke.

However, I was starting to think maybe it was because Percy thought I prefer hanging out with Luke over him.

If the latter part was true, that made me feel extremely guilty.

At lunch, I was playing around with the straw of my soda as Luke and his football teammates were discussing yet again, the upcoming season.

 _Ugh._

It wasn't that I didn't like sports (I'm a big Yankees fan by the way). It's just that football never made sense to me. A bunch of grown men running around hitting each other with a strong likelihood of head concussions? Yeah, I didn't get that.

"Dude, this year, we are going to beat the Titans for the championship! They're the only ones we gotta worry about. If we have a fully healthy Luke, we can go all the way!" Travis told him. I snorted. Travis, the annoying prankster who played wide receiver for the team, was again kissing-ass to Luke.

"Hey, don't get too cocky there Travis. We still got a regular season to play." Luke replied, trying to act casual. But a little smirk couldn't help but appear. Luke didn't mind at all the praise. He knew he was good.

"Can't help but feel that way, Luke. We're gonna kick everyone's ass!" Travis' brother Connor added

Charles, Silena's boyfriend, chimed in. "Well, we have to go through the regular season guys. Can't overlook our competition then," he mentioned. Charles was probably the other person other than Silena that I liked in the table. He was a pretty nice, respectful guy and a good boyfriend to Silena.

"Oh come on Charles! Who's going to beat us in our division? I mean, Roman's defense is much more vulnerable now since they all consist of freshman and sophomores from what I heard. We've got this Luke! " Octavian chimed in. Octavian wasn't part of the football team (frankly he had no athletic skills whatsoever). He was a part of the CHB debate club.

As a result, Octavian knew the right things to say to be around the popular kids. One of them was to stroke Luke's ego.

So Luke considered him cool.

Gods, Octavian was such a conniving person. I didn't trust him one bit.

"I mean you're great Luke! Why are you worrying?" Drew flirtatiously chimed while grinning at me. I glared at Drew. I knew she was only saying that to get under my skin. She knew NOTHING about sports. "Plus, you have that Red Sax fan charm for football!"

"Very funny Drew," Luke replied. Drew was one of the main cheerleaders for our football team so unfortunately, Luke was tolerant of her bs. "Red Sox are a baseball team. Speaking of, they're doing quite well. They are first place in the division unlike a _certain_ team from NY who's in second." he said, Luke's eyes drifting to me.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, our Yankees are headed to the postseason as well! Let's see how your Red Sox do then!" I declared getting some oohs from the table.

Yes, at this point, you must be thinking. _Red Sox guy and Yankees girl dating? How is that possibl_ e! Well, I overlooked that when I started dating Luke. Plus, we have 27 championships and they have a measly 8.

So I always win the "who is better" argument.

Luke chuckled. "We'll see Annabeth. He then turned back to his football conversation. Bored, I turned to Silena who looked just as disinterested in the table convo.

"I don't understand. Why are boys so insistent on talking about sports, especially around their girlfriends?"

"Boys will continue to be boys Annabeth. I mean my Charlie is sweet but as soon as you mention sports, he's a different guy. I think they're just trying to prove to one another who is more of the macho man."

"Their egos are bigger then their brains" I muttered. We both laughed silent. I started to look down the lunchroom at Percy's table where my friends were sitting as well. They all were laughing and smile.

"Looks like your friends are having fun over there." Silena pointed out.

"Yeah," I sighed. Man, I hadn't sat at their table for what seemed like forever. "It looks like it." My gray eyes shift towards Percy. I realized he had been looking at me the whole time. Momentarily his green eyes locked with mine. Percy suddenly looked away.

Silena smiled, noticing Percy's action. "I think he likes you," she remarked, grinning.

I looked at Silena, stunned. "Silena!" I cried out, glancing at Luke to make sure he hadn't overheard her. Thankfully, he was still focused on football talk. "What are you talking about? Percy's my best friend! You know that! That's it!"

"Yeah, but the way Percy looked at you, it looks he is into you," she noted. "He's also pretty cute, don't you think?"

"Yeah, Percy is pretty cute...wait, that's not the point!" I stumbled, catching myself. I felt my face getting hot. "Percy is my best friend, THAT'S ALL! And you have a boyfriend already Silena!"

"Yeah, but a girl can admit if another guy is cute, right?" I wanted to argue but Silena was already giggling. Besides, she had a point. Percy was cute, handsome even. Even I could admit that.

 _What are you doing Annabeth? Percy is your friend! You already have a boyfriend!_

"You should go say hello."

"To Percy?"

"No, to your friends. But saying hello to Percy wouldn't hurt as well," Silena jeered.

"Silena!" I groaned, getting really annoyed with her at this point. "Anyways, I can't. I haven't sat with my other friends forever.'" I responded.

Silena shook her head in disapproval. "But you're still friends with them right?"

"Yeah. No, not really. Well, _kind_ of..."

Silena put a hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth, because you are friends with other people doesn't mean you can just ignore your old ones. That was the first mistake I made when I became friends with the popular kids. I neglected my old friends. I don't want you to do the same."

For a while, I looked on at Silena. What she said reminded me so much of what Samantha had discussed in the Samantha, Silena was also right.

"I ... I guess I should say hello," I managed after a while of musing. "Just hope Luke isn't _too_ mad."

"Who cares what Luke thinks? Besides, he'll probably be too busy with all his football talk to care. You know what ...I'll go with you Annabeth!" Silena declared. We both stood up from our table and grabbed our lunch trays.

"Wait, where are you two girls going?" Luke asked, just realizing what we were doing.

" I just want to say hi and sit with my friends over there Luke," I responded.

Luke laughed, which surprised me. "Really. _Them_?" Luke scanned my friends. "I'm sorry Annabeth. But, I'm going, to be honest, your other friends are a bit ... lame". I didn't know if Luke meant that as a joke or if he was serious. I was kind of offended, even if I wasn't going to say that out loud.

Fortunately, Silena stepped in. "Hey, that's not nice to say, Luke! Plus, you haven't met Annabeth's friends yet. They're pretty cool!"

Luke continued to eye me. "You serious Annabeth?" I slowly nodded my head. This was the first time I was standing up to Luke. I don't think Luke was used to someone EVER standing up to him. Drew was looking at the back and forth, in content.

For a moment, I thought Luke was going to get angry at me. However, he just shrugged his shoulders and stated, "Alright, whatever Annabeth." He then turned back to his football conversation.

Silena and I made our way to my friend's table. Leo started to whistle as we neared. "Wow, the popular girl decided to finally visit us lowly servants in the back. And she brought another royalty. Nice..." I felt hurt by Leo's comment, partly because he was right.

"Leo! What the hell was that for?" Piper exclaimed.

I intervened. "No Piper, Leo is right. I ... I haven't been a good friend to you guys ever since I started dating Luke. He's important. But you guys are too. And I shouldn't have ignored you along the way. I ... I hope you can forgive me..."

Piper smiled. "Annabeth, we can never be angry at you. Of course, we forgive you! Right, Leo? " as Piper slapped Leo on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Definitely Annabeth! And I'm saying that because I mean it, not because of Piper's _really_ unnecessary and painful shoulder slap." Leo said, glaring at Piper, rubbing his shoulder.

Hazel patted to an empty seat next to her. "Come on guys, sit down!" She turned to Silena. "Your name is Silena, right?"

"Yes, it is. Hazel right? That's a very lovely name! My half-sisters told me all about you!" Hazel eyes lit up. Silena then sat next to Hazel, as well as Piper and the three started to chat and bond right away. I decided to sit next to Percy. As I sat, Percy was staring at me, his jade eyes skeptical.

"What gives Wise Girl? You decide to sit here?" he questioned.

I smirked. "Hey, am I not wanted here?" I joked.

"Well, if I'm going to be serious... " he began.

I playfully punched Percy in the shoulder, making him chuckle. I then decided to get serious with. "I ... I realized that I haven't been a good friend to you in the past months Percy I ... I really want to change that this year."

Percy softly grabbed my hand. "Well, you've always been a good friend to me Annabeth. So I have no idea what you're talking about!"

I erupted in a smile. Gods, Percy was such a loyal, good friend. That made me feel more guilty about ignoring him. I was about to tell Percy that when Piper suddenly said out loud. "So guys, you wanna play a game?"

I silently cursed. _Gods, just when I was about to be honest with him..._

Silena eyes lit up. "Ooo, what kind of game?"

Jason had a worried look on his face. "Anything but that stupid truth or dare game babe. Please!"

Frank chimed in. "Yeah, it just makes us guys look bad! Like _really_ bad."

Hazel laughed. "Frank, you don't need to worry. Unless there's a truth you're not telling me!" Hazel teased, faking a serious expression Jason and Frank both looked at each other, sympathizing with one another like _Girls are so annoying, am I right?_

"Well, Grover picked a great time to NOT to be eating with us. He's just smooching with his girlfriend Juniper over there," Percy stated, mimicking kissing noises.

"Hey, that gives me an idea for our first truth!" Piper declared."If you were forced to date anyone on this table, who would it be?" There were a bunch of oohs and ahhs. "This one is for the girls. I for one would still want Jason but if I was forced, it would be Percy."

Jason had both a proud and annoyed look on his face. "I don't know if I should be honored or really pissed at Percy."

Hazel nodded. "Same. Love you Frank but I would choose Percy."

Frank gave a sarcastic smile. "Gee thanks, Hazel."

Silena nodded. "Same."

Leo whistled. "Damn Percy, you got a bunch of suitors." he teased, elbowing Percy.

Percy looked at all of the girls, pink on his cheeks. "Really? What do you girls see in me? All I see is a fidgety, ADHD kid." he joked.

"Hey, you're being too rough on yourself Percy!" Piper stated. "Honestly, you don't know what you've got. For one, your sea green eyes are cute."

Hazel nodded. "Great smile as well."

Silena also contributed. "Did I mention you're very muscular Percy?" she noted, giggling. Jason then stepped in. "Ok girls, all the compliments you're giving Percy are going to make me sick!" fake vomiting, making them all laugh.

"Honestly Percy, how do you not have a girlfriend? You're too sweet and good looking to NOT have one." Piper finally said. Everyone, including the guys, was nodding. Percy moaned, annoyed by his friend's insistence on this topic.

It was true. Percy was single, had been for a while. Honestly, I didn't know why Percy was so self-deprecating and pessimistic about his girlfriend chances. He really did have a wonderful personality that a lot of girls would like.

 _He was also really good looking_...

I..I meant that compliment as a friend by the way. As a friend!

"How about you Annabeth?" Silena asked. "Who would you date on this table?" I didn't realize it but it was my turn.

"Yeah, who would you choose?" Hazel chimed in. Everyone was looking at me except for Percy. He was staring off into the other direction, a seemingly nervous look. I also found myself doing the same.

My answer, to be honest, would have been Percy. But something inside me told me not to say that. I don't know, I..I felt weird if I said that I would want to go out with my best friend.

 _Wait, why would I feel weird? I'm dating Luke! It's not like I have feelings for Percy, right? Also, Percy would feel uncomfortable if I said that. Not because he has feelings for me. Well, I don't know that but...ugh, why am I explaining this..._

"Um.." I started. "Well, uh, Frank ... Frank is kind of cute." I quickly managed, looking at him. "He looks really huggable, like a stuffed animal almost, no offense." Everyone laughed except for Frank, who was staring at me fiercely.

"Hey!" he said. "That's not true!"

Hazel laughed at him. "That's why I love him, Annabeth! He looks tough but deep inside Frank is such a sweet and sensitive guy," she added, poking him in the chest area where his heart was.

Frank looked like he wanted to shapeshift into a goldfish and hide. "Thanks for embarrassing me Annabeth. Now you know why I HATE this game." Yet, Frank couldn't help but laugh after a while alongside our friends. Man, being with these guys for a few minutes reminded me how fun they were to be around with.

It felt like old times.

The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of lunch. We all stood up from our table. "Annabeth and Silena, you should seriously come sit with us again tomorrow!" Hazel stated

"Yeah, you guys are awesome!" Piper added.

"Promise no truth or dare nonsense and you're cool!" Leo added. Jason and Frank also chipped in. "Oh, yes, absolutely you can sit with us. But REALLY no more of this stupid game..."

Silena laughed and smiled. "I would love to sit with you guys. You all are awesome. Maybe I can bring Charlie with me as well, you'll love him! " Silena turned to me. "Annabeth? How about you?" Silena asked.

A part of me wanted to say no. I was supposed to sit with Luke. He would be pretty angry if I didn't sit with him during lunch.

However, I had so much fun with these guys today. Besides, I told myself I would change the way I acted as a friend.

"Yeah, definitely!" They all smiled and gave me high fives. My friends all left with Silena, who was exchanging numbers with Hazel. Percy remained though. He had a puzzled look on his face.

"You serious about eating here Annabeth? I mean, I don't want you to feel like we're forcing you to leave Luke and eat with us."

"No one is forcing me, Percy. I _want_ to do this myself. You guys are fun!"

Percy smiled, a big genuine one, which made me smile. "Well, it's nice to have you back in at the table gang Wise Girl. See you later?" he asked.

"Definitely Seaweed Brain," I responded.

Percy gave me a big grin as he walked out and left. I started smiling to myself. Things were sort of back to the way they were pre-Luke. I had reconnected with my old friends. I had also reconnected with Percy.

I liked it.

* * *

 **Writing Class**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I was in a much better mood the rest of the day. I had 2 more classes after lunch, architecture and creative writing, electives which we got to choose ourselves. Luke wasn't in any of them. He usually left a period early to go and practice for football or his other sports.

I walked into my creative writing class and looked around the room. I respectfully smiled at everyone but didn't know any of the students. However, as I walked towards the back to take a seat, a particular person caught my eye. .

 _No way! Is that..._

"Annabeth?" Percy said, looking at me. "What are you doing here," he asked, just as surprised I was. Percy was the LAST person I expected to see in creative writing.

"The question is what are you doing here?" I responded.

"Well I asked it first," Percy shot back.

"Well, I'm asking it last and that's final." I finally said. Percy moaned. "Ugh fine Wise Girl," he muttered as I grinned. "It was either I would take this class or home economics. And since I absolutely suck at cooking, I settled for this class. How about you?"

"I took this class because I thought it could help improve my writing skills. That's always something important to improve on, right?"

Percy chuckled. "I love how you always have a valid reason for doing things, unlike me." I laughed.

"So, I guess you'll be my deskmate for the rest of the year?"

I smiled slowly. "I guess so." Afterward, we began chatting nonstop. Being his desk-mate reminded me of the first time I had met Percy in 7th grade. We were forced to sit together, which I was aggravated about initially. Percy was SO annoying back then, and frankly still is.

But, I tolerated him for a while and then, well, you know the rest of the story. The writing teacher, Miss Thompson, started to introduce herself to the class after a few minutes. She was a pretty nice and laid back teacher. Miss Thompson told us that for our first assignment, we should write about what we did over the summer.

"Ugh, I have nothing to write about..." Percy moaned.

"Really Seaweed Brain? You're telling me you did NOTHING throughout the nearly 3-month summer vacation?"

"Aside from lots of Netflix binge-watching and the occasional swim at the local pool, nothing." he shrugged, leading me to eye roll. "Well, YOU certainly have a lot to write about. How awesome Greece must have been, the food…"

"Well, it wasn't that awesome," I slowly mentioned.

Percy looked at me like I just kicked him in the shin. "Are you serious Annabeth? How could Greece NOT been great! You've always wanted to go there!" I looked at Percy hesitantly. I wasn't sure if I should tell him how I truly felt.

However, I finally was alone with Percy for the first time today. I also needed to be honest with not only him but myself about our friendship and how I missed it.

"Percy, I ... I should tell you something." I began. "Throughout the trip, I ... I really wished that you were there with me."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I looked at Annabeth for a while.

 _She wanted me to be there? But she had her freaking boyfriend there! Why me?_

"Annabeth..." I began. However, she continued..."Percy, I really wished you were there with me. Like you said, I've always told you when we were younger that one of my dreams was to go to Greece and visit all the famous architectural sites there. And, I ... I always thought we would go together."

"Yeah, we did say that." I slowly replied, recalling those conversations.

"Percy, I also realized something." Annabeth took a deep breath and exhaled. "I...I haven't been a good friend to you the past few months."

"Annabeth don't say that..."

"No, no it's true! I've ... I've been ignoring you, Percy. I mean, we barely speak or talk to each other anymore ever since I started dating Luke. And I really missed spending time with you." she slowly said. Annabeth had a sad look on her face. I hated seeing her like that.

I HAD to make Annabeth feel better.

"Annabeth, I know how difficult it is when you have your first boyfriend. You don't want to screw anything up. Believe me, when I had my first girlfriend, I was constantly worrying about the type of shirts I wear, and I NEVER cared about that before!" Annabeth smiled and giggled a bit, which made me happy.

" I ... I really don't know if you can forgive me for what I did..."

"Not forgive you? Please, Annabeth! How can I not forgive you? You're my best friend and honestly, I could never stay angry at you." he said, putting his hand on my shoulders for comfort.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I wanted to cry right then and there. My gods, I had been such a bad friend to Percy. yet there he was, forgiving me instantly. I felt like I needed to make it up to Percy.

No, I HAD to make it up to him!

An idea sprang into my head.

"Percy, are you free after school?" I asked.

Percy had a puzzled look. "Uh, yeah?" he answered, not sure where I was going with the conversation.

"How about you and me, Emmett's for lunch after school, just like old times."

His eyes lit up ."No way, are you serious? We haven't been there for ages!"

"And that's why we're going there," I smiled. "Check is on me."

"Extra cheese?" he asked innocently.

"Of course. Who do you think I am?" I told him, making Percy laugh. He then had a worried expression, shifting around in his seat for a bit.

"Um, does Luke know about this? Cause I don't want to ... you know."

"Luke has football practice." I quickly said, cutting Percy off. "Besides, I want to go eat out with my awesome best friend. He shouldn't have a problem with that, right?"

The worried expression on his face dissipated. That classic Percy grin returned. "Well, Emmett's after school it is I guess."

* * *

 **Being Honest**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Man, I forgot how amazing their pizza was!" Percy exclaimed as he was wolfing down his second slice of deep dish.

I nodded in agreement. "Same. It's incredible!" We were both sitting outside and enjoying our pizza. The weather had warmed up significantly since this morning. It was now sunny and beautiful outside.

Percy suddenly laughed out loud. I looked at him, puzzled.

"What?" I frowned.

"No, I was remembering something. Remember that debate we had when we were younger on which is better? Chicago or NY pizza?"

I smiled. "Yeah. Didn't I won that debate?"

Percy frowned. "Yeah, unfortunately. You know, I STILL think NY style pizza is better," he muttered.

"Do you really want to have that debate again Seaweed Brain. Because I'll beat you again..." I teased.

"You haven't been to Di Fara's yet Wise Girl! Their pizza is awesome! We have to go there at some point."

"Yeah, I heard it's great. But, Chicago deep dish is STILL better than NY style pizza"

"Ugh, you're so stubborn, Wise Girl. That's what I hate and like about you," he smirked as we again laughed. For a while, it felt like everything was back to the way it was.

"Man, Luke doesn't know what he's missing. I've been meaning to take him here for ages."

Percy looked at me with skepticism. "You ... you haven't taken him here yet?"

I shook my head. "No. Whenever I wanted to take him here, Luke is either busy with sports or hanging out with his friends. I ... I don't know Percy... sometimes I feel uncomfortable around him. I always feel ... awkward." I mentioned. I knew that might have been too revealing but Percy was my best friend. If I couldn't tell him anything, I couldn't tell anyone anything.

"That's typical. He's your first boyfriend. Like I said, you get nervous about not wanting to screw it up. " Percy said, trying to give me comforting advice.

"I know but I'm always nervous to tell Luke things. Like my feelings and emotions. I'm ... I'm not comfortable with telling him those sort of things."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I couldn't believe what Annabeth was telling me. She was uncomfortable around Luke? How could Annabeth, freakin Annabeth perfect as hell Chase, be uncomfortable around Luke? It should have been the other way around.

"He's your boyfriend Annabeth!" I told her. "If there's anyone that you should be able to tell anything to, it would be him!"

"Yeah, but Luke's never been into that emotions stuff. All my friends say that. I ... I also don't want to bother him with that nonsense. It will distract him from his sports and friends."

"Annabeth, your emotions are NOT nonsense..." I responded.

"Yeah, but, I don't know, telling Luke something he doesn't want to hear would make me a bad girlfriend. And I don't want to be that." she slowly said.

I tried my best to not look angry. _Annabeth a bad girlfriend? How is that possible?_ Honestly, at that point, I felt like punching Luke right in the face. How could he be so oblivious to Annabeth?

I tried my best to comfort her. I grabbed her hand and looked at Annabeth straight in the eyes. "Annabeth, I want to let you know that if you have any troubles, you can always tell me, okay? Emotions, feelings. I'm always open.".

Annabeth smiled and squeezed my hand affectionately, which made me smile. "You're so awesome, Percy. I ... I always feel comfortable around you. I ... I really don't know what I'd do without you. "

Annabeth added, "I .. I honestly don't know how you're still single." I looked at her for a bit.

"Um, what are you talking about?"

"You, Percy Jackson, single? I mean, you heard the girls right. They're shocked as well."

I frowned. "They were just teasing me Annabeth! You know Piper and Hazel!"

"No, I think they were serious. You've got a sweet, kind heart, Percy. Nice personality. You're also quite good looking, even I have to admit that," she smirked. "Girls are into that."

I resisted the urge to do a dolphin flip. _Wow_ , _did she called me good looking? Annabeth Chase called me good lucking! No, she meant that as a friend. Obviously. You idiot._

"Um, uh thanks," I replied awkwardly. "Wait, why do you care about my love life Wise Girl?"

Annabeth squeezed my hand again. "Because I care for you, Seaweed Brain. I want you to be happy." Gods, when Annabeth said that, I resisted the overwhelming urge to tell Annabeth that I was happy with her.

"Well, um, I guess no girl had ever caught my eye." I weakly uttered. Unfortunately, Annabeth caught my bluff. "Oh come on, there has to be one girl that has caught your eye! Just tell me, Percy, I won't judge. I promise." Annabeth said, her eyes looking at me softly.

 _God, her gray eyes. Did I ever mention how cute they were?_

I really, REALLY wanted this conversation to end. But I felt like I owed it to Annabeth to be sort of honest to her like she had been honest with me about Luke.

Besides, I trusted Annabeth by telling her my secrets like she trusted me.

 _Although not the big secret..._

"Ok, I ... I can't tell you her name. It's ... it's sensitive. But I can describe her. There's this girl that, uh, really means a lot to me. I've known her for quite a while. She's a big part of my life. I always feel happy when I'm around her."

Annabeth smiled. "She sounds really special," she noted.

"Yeah, she is," I answered, surprised by the genuineness of my voice. "I ... I don't know what I'd do without her to be honest."

Annabeth gave another big cute smile, making my heart jump from my chest. "Aww, that sounds so sweet! Well, whoever this girl is, you should tell her your feelings about her."

"I ... I don't know though if this girl returns my feelings for her though..." I slowly said, not meeting Annabeth's eyes.

"Percy, if she means a lot to you, then vice versa must be true," Annabeth stated. "You should just be honest with her."

 _Gods, the girl I'm talking about is you. Annabeth! I'm talking about you!_ I wanted to scream.

Yet, I couldn't. I know that we were just friends. That's all Annabeth would see me as. A friend.

I managed a weak. "Yeah, maybe, " faking a smile. For the rest of the time, Annabeth and I continued to eat our pizza, the convo shifting. Yet my mind couldn't help but play over one thing she had said.

 _You should just be honest with her._

Maybe...

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I gave Percy a reassuring hug as we were about to leave Emmett's. Percy had just told me about a crush he had on this particular girl. Though he didn't mention her by name, I could tell that this girl meant a lot to him.

To be honest, I'm kind of jealous of this girl. _In a good way!_ Percy was such a wonderful friend to me and I was just his best friend! Any girl who had him as a boyfriend would be lucky.

Well, whoever this girl was, I hoped Percy got her. And I hoped she got him.

 _Whoever you are, you should know you're very lucky to know that Percy really cares for you..._

* * *

 **Special girl. How does Annabeth not know who this special girl is?**

 **Yes, by the way, there's a reason why I chose The Chainsmokers-Honest for the music they both listen to. It's not only because that's such a sick song (especially the Tritonal remix). In this chapter, they both somewhat are trying to be somewhat honest with each other, yet they still keep some true feelings hidden.**

 **Now, I know what some of you are thinking when Annabeth is dating Luke. UGH! Why?! However, just bear with me ya'll. It's part of the story. Plus, we see Annabeth kind of has some feelings for Percy; she's just not admitting them though.**

 **Why Annabeth, why...**

 **Also, this story will not be cliche in that Luke is evil and shit. Annabeth realizes that. Falls for Percy. Blah blah blah. I know we've all read those stories and you figure this story might be one of those.**

 **Well, it's not :). That's all I'll say. So continue reading ;)**

 **As always please do follow/fav/review. And have a splendid day!** _ **  
**_

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	4. Chapter 4: Just for the Night

**You ready for some more Percabeth? Yes, yes I am.**

 **There are some more personal music tastes in this one. I'm a big fan of a DJ group named Vicetone. They're my whole life man. So definitely check'em out.**

 **Anyways, as always, enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Just for the Night**

 **I hate him**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

The next few days of school were great.

I felt more confident and happy. I began hanging out more with my friends, both in and after school. I also spent more time at Percy's table than Luke's.

In addition, our gang had also made a new daily routine to go and eat out at a different place after school, chosen by a different person. Of course, the day Leo got to pick, he took us to some weird ice cream shop in Brooklyn that served flavors liked worm-flavored ice cream, mostly to his amusement. It was pretty horrible and we made a secret vow NEVER to let him choose again.

More importantly, Percy and I were close again. Especially in creative writing class, the only class I had with him, at the end of the day. I always found myself looking forward to it.

Of course, Luke was pretty upset with the less time I was giving him. He confronted me one day about it at my locker as I was gathering my books.

"Seriously Annabeth, you're not coming to my football practice?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"I told you, I'm going to the movies with my friends!" I responded.

"Ugh, your other _friends,_ " Luke grumbled as if it displeased him that I had other friends besides the ones he knew.

 _Hey, I was allowed to have other friends, right?_

"Haven't you spent a lot of time already with them?" he continued.

"Those guys are pretty cool once you get to know them! And secondly, we already planned this days ago. I can't cancel at the very last minute!"

"Oh come on Annabeth!" Luke pleaded. "I need you for practice! You're, like, the most important person there for me!"

"I just sit on the bleachers and read my book. I don't know what part of that is important."

"Hey, you don't know! Whenever I look up, I have the satisfaction of seeing my hot girlfriend there while I practice."

"So ... I'm just eye-candy?" I frowned.

"Well, you're making it sound harsher than it actually is but kind of Annabeth," Luke admitted. I sighed.

"Luke, like I said, I already made plans with my friends! That's final. We'll get something to eat after the movie is done and your practice is over, ok?" Luke had an almost angry- ish look in his eyes, which he had when things didn't go his way. However, after a while, he just sighed. Luke then turned around to head to the football field.

I sighed again.

 _Ugh, my boyfriend can act territorial about me._

One week, I got news that my dad would be coming to New York on Friday for the weekend. It was around the end of September. I was ecstatic. I hadn't seen my dad in forever. He lived abroad in Britain along with my two brothers, Bobby and Matthew, and my stepmom, doing research for Oxford University. Last time he said he would visit, dad had to cancel due to a sudden change in a history conference lecture date. He was one of the prime speakers there and had to show up.

This time, dad personally promised nothing of the sort would occur again.

The day prior to his arrival, I was texting Silena, Piper, and Hazel about meeting my dad. They all were excited and wished me luck. And, of course, I told Percy, who was even more excited than I was.

"Wow, that's awesome Annabeth!" he exclaimed as we were chatting in class. "When does he come?"

"Tomorrow night. Samantha and I are picking him from LaGuardia airport. The day after, a trip to the American Museum of Natural History!" I said, pumping my fists.

"That sounds great! Your dad is pretty awesome from what I remember a long time ago. Although he's kind of a war geek guy, isn't he? No offense by the way."

"Yeah, I know, he is. He's kind of weird like that. But dad is pretty cool otherwise. I ... I really don't know what I should talk about with him. I haven't seen him in like, _forever_..."

"Well, you should start off with the fact that his one and only daughter is maintaining an above 4.0 GPA average in high school, which I didn't even know was freaking possible..." Percy teased.

"Oh shut up Seaweed Brain! I replied, blushing and nudging him on the shoulder.

"Just saying Wise Girl." he playfully said. I couldn't help but smile. I was really happy now. I had reconnected with all my friends and my dad was coming to visit. Things felt good in my life for once.

That night, I got a phone call. It was from dad. I picked it up instantly.

"Hey, dad!" I began enthusiastically.

"Hey, Annabeth. How you doing sweetie?" he responded. Dad's voice sounded quite tired and deflated but I didn't really notice at the time. I mean, I was talking to my dad for crying out loud!

"I'm doing great dad!" I replied. "I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Samantha and I have already cleaned up the apartment. We also got the tickets to AMNH!"

"Yeah, I'm...looking forward to ... that." Dad then took a long deep breath. "Annabeth, I ... I have to tell you something, my dear."

"Um, what?" I asked, confused.

"I ... I can't make it tomorrow Annabeth. I'm sorry."

My smile faded. The enthusiasm in my voice was replaced with shock, disbelief.

"W ... what?"

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry. I..." my dad continued.

"But you ... you promised that you were coming..." I told dad cutting him off, my voice cracking and barely audible. I still didn't register what dad said.

"I know..I know..Annabeth, it's just..some certain unfortunate events have come up in regards to my job and colleague and I have to go take over." he said. "It was really unexpected dear! I tried to avoid it but I couldn't Annabeth. I'm sorry!"

"That's what you said last time!" I yelled. My shock was replaced with pure anger. "You promised dad! You ... you promised this wouldn't happen again!"

"I know that Annabeth! I know. I'm .. I'm so sorry." My dad's voice felt absolutely down. In hindsight, it was clear that he felt absolutely resentful. However, I was so angry that I didn't care or took notice.

Emotions boiling, I exclaimed. "Dad, you ... you know what? You're ...You're an asshole!"

My dad's voice was silent, not believing what he was hearing. "Asshole?" he repeated as if he couldn't comprehend that his daughter said such a word, especially to him. I rarely cursed. Even if I did, I wouldn't dare do it in front of my dad.

However, I felt that word was appropriate for him. And I was livid.

"You're an asshole dad! You care more about your stupid job than your own freaking daughter!"

"Annabeth, that's not true!" dad cried out, some hurt present his voice. "This was completely unexpected. I swear! You need to understand that!"

"I can't understand dad! I can never understand why it seems like you don't give a ... a shit about me!" I exclaimed, cursing more. I had lost it. I felt like I was going to cry.

"Annabeth, please, just let me explain!" dad croaked. However, I had already hung up. I didn't want to hear any of his bullshit. The point was he made a promise and he broke it.

Simple as that.

I spend the rest of the night confined to my bedroom, feeling absolutely terrible. I felt the varying feelings of anger, sadness, and just pure shittiness. I wanted to shout, cry, and punch something all at the same time. Eventually, Samantha came inside. From the look she had, it looked like she knew what happened.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry," she said coming towards me. It looked like she wanted to comfort me.

"G..go away Samantha, please. I just want to be alone right now!" However, she ignored my request and sat beside me. Samantha didn't say anything. She just went over to give me a hug. I stifled back some more tears as Samanatha continued to embrace me.

"Annabeth, you need to understand that your dad isn't doing this on purpose." she started. I then broke off the hug and glared at her.

"He told you to say that, didn't he? My asshole dad told you to say that!" I shouted.

"No, Annabeth, I'm _saying_ that! Your father never forced me to say this." Samantha softly replied.

"Why are you defending him, Samantha? How can you defend him for canceling his visit with his daughter, TWICE!" I yelled, using my fingers to put up the number two for emphasis.

"Annabeth, I am absolutely NOT defending his actions! He should have done all he could to come here and I am very disappointed in him! But, he still is your dad and you're his daughter! You have to know that, deep down, he wouldn't want to hurt you intentionally! That's the last thing he'd ever want to do. You need to know that!"

"Well, if that is his intention, he's doing a pathetic job at doing so." I managed to say. Samantha didn't respond. She just sat next to me in silence, occasionally rubbing and patting me on the shoulder and back for comfort.

Eventually, it was around 12 at night. Samantha got up. Heading out of the room, she turned back and asked softly, "Do you want the lights off or on?"

"Lights off," I gloomily said. She nodded slowly and switched the lights off. I then rested my head on my pillow, desperately trying to fall asleep. However, it was impossible. My mind was all over the place, angered at my dad, angered at everything.

 _Gods, why couldn't I have a normal dad like everyone else! Why did my dad care so little about me?_

I got up from my bed. It was around 1 am. I grabbed my phone from my side desk. At first, I thought about texting Luke to tell him what happened. However, I decided against it. I was only going to make him worry about me. Besides he had football practice tomorrow. The last thing he needed to worry about was his girlfriend's personal problems.

I then looked through my list of friends. Piper, Hazel, and Silena. However, I came to the same conclusion as with Luke. I didn't want them to worry.

Finally, I thought of one person. _Percy._

I pressed his name in the messaging app. The keyboard popped out, my fingers hovered over them. I honestly did not know what to write. In the past, Percy had always been there for me whenever I had a problem or issue.

But, this was a big problem, one even I didn't know Percy could help me with.

At the very last moment, I decided not to tell him as well. I didn't want to be a nuisance to him. Percy had always worried way more than he should about me and my stupid personal problems. As a friend who cared for him, that was unfair. I felt like I was taking advantage of him.

I then put my phone down, absolutely tired and confused. I tried closing my eyes again but I found it even harder than before to sleep.

* * *

 ** _(morning after)_**

I woke up, still feeling shitty. I didn't sleep at all last night. My eyes were somewhat red. I started sniffling and coughing a bit. Samantha then came into my room. She had a concerned look on her face.

"Gods, Annabeth, you look terrible! Did you sleep at all last night?"

"No, not really," I admitted. "But I can't worry about that now! I have to go and get ready for school." I said getting out of bed. Samantha came over and forced me back down.

"No, I think you need to stay home Annabeth!"

"No Samantha. I need to go to school!" I argued. I didn't want to let some stupid thing with my dad make me miss school.

"Do you have any exams today?" she asked

"Um, no ... but I still need to go!" I stammered.

"Annabeth, listen to me, you should stay home. You're not feeling like yourself right now. Don't be ashamed that you need a break. Besides, it's not a big deal for a student like you. They shouldn't give you a hard time for being absent. You have had perfect attendance for like, what, the past 2 years?"

"Past 5 years, including middle and part of elementary." I corrected making Samantha smile. "And, alright fine," I grumbled, realizing Samantha would not let up.

 _Ugh, my perfect attendance now ruined, all because of my stupid dad!_

"Alright. I'll call you in sick to the school. In the meantime, just try to relax and maybe sleep. I'll bring some tea soon." I thanked Samantha as she left and closed the bedroom door. With nothing left to do, I sat upright on my bed.

Honestly, I had no idea what kids did when they had a "sick" day. I never experienced... that...in, wow, forever.

I first decided to text Luke to let him know how I was. Then my friends.

Finally, Percy. I spent more time on this text than the others. I didn't want him to worry too much about me. Percy does that whether warranted or not. I tried to make the message sound not too terrible or revealing.

 ** _Hey Percy. Sorry, I'm not coming to school today. I'm feeling the chills unfortunately :( Hopefully I'll see you next week, Seaweed Brain :P_**

I hit send. I then looked at my phone call history. My dad had called numerous times last night and morning. I immediately turned my phone off placing it on the side drawer, anger rising again.

 _I hate my dad! I absolutely hate him!_

* * *

 **I know her**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

"Annabeth not coming to school? Man, that's like a first in forever." Leo said.

"I mean everyone has their sick days right?" Frank mentioned, trying to lessen the concern.

"Yeah but Annabeth Chase? The girl with the perfect freaking attendance? Man, I didn't even know the girl could get sick!" We were all sitting down together eating lunch. After school, our friends planned on hanging out at the WTC Mall and get some Chinese food afterward.

We were trying to have our usual, relaxed conversation. However, it was pretty hard when there was a big elephant hanging over the air that was Annabeth's noticeable absence.

"I mean, she texted me that she was feeling sick this morning," Silena said. Piper and Hazel nodded their heads in agreement.

"Same." the girl added.

"I also got a text. Annabeth said the same thing." I added.

"Annabeth didn't look sick at lunch yesterday. Did she look sick to you in class?" Piper asked me.

"No. Honestly, I didn't even know Annabeth could get sick! I seriously believe her immune system is made of concrete or something." There was some half-hearted laughter around the table.

Silena then said, "Maybe I should go ask Luke. Maybe he knows more." Luke came around to our table, headed towards the vending machines to get a drink. Silena rushed after him.

"Hey, Luke." Silena started.

"What do you want Silena?" Luke briskly muttered. Ever since Silena started hanging out with us, the two have not been on the best of terms.

That was putting it REALLY kindly.

"I wanted to ask about Annabeth. Is she ok? She's not in today."

"Well, of all people you should know. She seems to like spending more time with you guys than me." he scoffed.

"Luke! Stop that! I'm asking you because I care for her! You need to stop acting like a kid!" There were some gasps around the lunchroom. I was worried about Silena. I seriously hoped she knew what she was doing. I don't think Luke was appreciative of being called a kid in front of everyone.

Luke looked at her fiercely. After some hard staring, Silena not flinchin, he then relented and moaned. "Ugh, fine. Annabeth texted me this morning that she came down with the flu. That was it."

"Anything else?"

"No that's it. Look, Silena, I can't worry about Annabeth too much okay? I have football practice today. We have a big game tomorrow against our rivals. It's just a sickness like she said. Everyone gets those at some point. So we shouldn't worry about it, alright?"

"Now, I'm going to head back to my table. See you Sils." Luke grabbed his drink and walked away as Silena made her way back.

"Well, like Luke and Frank said, everyone gets sick, right? And Annabeth is no different." Jason finally declared. "So we shouldn't lose our hairs over this. She'll get better soon, hopefully." There was a collective nod amongst our friends.

"Yeah man, it's just a sickness," Grover added, who was also sitting at our table today. He was looking at me directly. Grover knew that I worried whenever something happened to Annabeth. "We shouldn't worry about it too much." he continued, the "we" intended for me.

I nodded my head slowly. However, deep down, I didn't believe one bit that Annabeth was just sick. I know her. She was perfectly fine yesterday. It wasn't the little old flu.

It was something else.

After school, I decided to head to Annabeth's apartment to see if she was okay. I wanted to do it alone. I lied to my friends and told them that my mom had called me last minute to ask for my help and I couldn't hang out with them. There were some skeptical looks on their faces. However, thankfully, they didn't ask too many questions. So, I was okay.

I decided to take the Brooklyn Bridge route to her place. Annabeth lives in Brooklyn Heights (nice neighborhood between). Of course, I didn't tell her that I was coming beforehand. She would have just said no.

That's typical Annabeth; she's stubborn about getting help even if she needs it.

As I walked across the bridge I started to play around with my necklace, which contained so many memories. Annabeth had given the necklace as a gift and symbol of our friendship during our last day of middle school while walking her home. I loved the gift. Each day, I never leave without wearing it. Annabeth, the same. I still remember word for word the conversation we had. I had told her that no matter what, throughout high school and beyond, we would stick together.

Even though we weren't dating and she had her own boyfriend, I still meant to keep the promise I made. I wasn't going to leave Annabeth.

I shook my head. _Gods, you're getting too nostalgic man!_

Eventually, I arrived at the front steps of her place. Annabeth's apartment was small but elegant. It was a typical NY apartment, 3 stories tall with Annabeth living on the top floor. The apartment was made out of old bricks, which had rusted a bit. I could see from below the window of bedroom. I could tell it was hers as it had some scribbling on it, maybe some drawings or ideas Annabeth had while looking outside. She had a weird habit of doing that. The part of me that was obsessed with her was going: _Oh my gods, Annabeth is inside. She's inside!_

Shut up I told it.

I cleared my throat and rang the doorbell. I then waited. In the meantime, I took in my surrounding environment. I hadn't been here in what felt like forever. Yet, it looked like the place hadn't changed much at all. The outside was still beautiful, with surrounding apartments, people strolling, and some little trees growing on the sidewalks. There was also a little public park around 2 blocks from her place.

It almost felt like times hadn't changed. That Annabeth and I were still in middle school together.

Soon, someone opened the door. I looked forward. I was greeted by the sight of a young woman. She looked like she was in her 30s. She had black hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a peace sign t-shirt and khaki shorts. She had a friendly smile.

I vaguely remembered her name as I observed the woman's face. "Hi, it's Samantha.. right?"

"Yes, and you're...you're Percy!" she said, recognizing me as well. "Oh, I remember you! It's been so long, how are you?"

"I'm great." We then spent the next few minutes chatting, catching up, telling her about school and stuff. Samantha was fun to talk to but I really wanted to see Annabeth.

"Um, sorry to cut you off Samantha but I wanted to ask where Annabeth was. I wanted to see if she is okay." I said.

"Oh yes. Um... let me see if she's in." she quickly told me.

"But, isn't she.." However Samantha had gone back inside, leaving me outside alone again. I waited for a while. Eventually, Samantha came back out.

"Sorry Percy, she's...not here. Annabeth is .. somewhere.." Samantha away I knew she was lying. Samantha was such a bad liar.

I couldn't help but chuckle. _Of course. Wise Girl being Wise Girl as usual._ "Did Annabeth tell you to say that she was not here?" I asked.

Samantha had a shocked look on her face. It turned to a smile. "How did you know that?"

I smiled back. "First, sorry Samantha but you're really bad at lying. Second, I know Annabeth. She can be ... hard at times to convince to put it mildly."

Samantha chuckled. "Yeah, that's the Annabeth I know. She kind of wants to be alone today. She's having ... some problems with her dad. She is feeling really sad." she slowly said.

I nodded. "That's why I came. I want to see if she was okay and comfort her."

Samantha awwed. "Annabeth always said you were sweet Percy." I reddened a bit at her comment. "Well, since you're here, I guess I can't turn you away. Come inside! I'll get you something to drink." Samantha then gestured me in.

As I walked inside, part of me was going _I'm inside Annabeth's house! I'm inside!_

SHUT UP!

I sat down on the couch in the living room and looked around. Even though Annabeth's place had changed obviously over the years, there were some things still I remembered from my times here. For instance, Annabeth had some of her architecture drawings hung on the wall. I beamed as I looked at them. I always thought Annabeth's drawings were incredible. Annabeth had always wanted to be an architect growing up and I knew for sure she was going to be one.

There was also a wooden piano set on the side. On top, there was her Yankees cap (a gift from her biological mother). Right next to it was Annabeth's first art competition award she won for her sketch of the Brooklyn Bridge (I was partly responsible for that, between. Not trying to take credit. Just saying :)). There were also some new items on it, mostly her various awards Annabeth won in high school from running track and academic decathlon. However, Annabeth's Yankees cap and art award were still the centers of attention.

Samantha interrupted my musing and handed me a glass of coke with ice in it.

"Here you go, Percy."

"Thanks."

"No problem at all! Hopefully, Annabeth will come out of her room soon to say hello. I wouldn't guarantee it though." Samantha finally said as she headed into her own room. Annabeth's apartment had three rooms: the living room, Annabeth's bedroom, and Samantha's bedroom. I could see that Annabeth's door was adjacent to my couch.

I knew she was in there. Annabeth couldn't fool me. I could practically hear the sounds of her tv inside. I first decided to play the waiting game. However, a few minutes went by and she still refused to come out. Getting bored and impatient, I suddenly said out loud, "I know you're in their Wise Girl."

Nothing. Getting a bit more impatient, I added, "You know I can hear your tv blaring in the background Annabeth." As soon as I said that, the tv turned off.

I chuckled a bit, smirking. _Nice try Wise Girl. Nice try._ "I know that you turned the tv off Annabeth." The tv then turned back on, almost on cue.

"Annabeth, I know that you just turned your tv back on! Come out, please. I just want to talk." I heard a big sigh from inside. The door of her bedroom slowly opened.

Annabeth then stepped outside. She looked awful. She was still in her gray PJs and orange nightshirt. Her blond hair was a tangled mess. Her gray eyes looked red, probably from crying. She was sniffling a bit.

However, even though she didn't look like her normal self, Annabeth still looked cute to me. What am I saying? She always looks freaking cute to me.

 _Hey, focus! Focus!_

"Annabeth, gods, are you okay?" I asked, putting my drink down and walking towards her.

"You're SO freaking annoying Seaweed Brain," Annabeth muttered, face in a frown. I couldn't help but smile.

"Well, annoying Seaweed Brain is here and not leaving. So you better sit down next to me on the couch and tell me what's happening." Annabeth wanted to argue but the look I gave told her that would be of no use. Eventually, she eased up and sat down next to me. Slowly but surely, Annabeth started to tell me what happened with her dad. She relayed how he called her last night saying that he had to cancel his visit. She told me how he promised this wouldn't help again, how she called her dad an asshole, how she told him that she felt her dad didn't care about her. Throughout the story, I put my arm around Annabeth, body close to mine, comforting her. She was stifling back some sobs in between her sentences.

"Annabeth, I'm ...I'm so sorry to hear that." I managed to say after she finished her story.

"I don't need a sorry." she fiercely responded. "My dad is an asshole. I hear that loud and clear now." as Annabeth stifled back some more tears.

"Annabeth, I know you're angry at your dad and you have a right to. But I don't think he did it on purpose. You can't say that. He tried coming here but couldn't. You've got to give him that at least."

Annabeth's expression pained. "Clearly, dad didn't try hard enough. And if he cared enough about me, none of this wouldn't have happened." she slowly muttered. I didn't respond. I knew she still was hurt by her dad. We sat in silence for the next few minutes.

Eventually, I asked. "Annabeth, why did you lie to me? Not only me but to our friends, about being sick?"

"I ... I didn't want to make you all worry about me."

"Annabeth, of course, we're going to worry if we think something is wrong with you. _I'm_ going to worry about you. We're your friends. There would be something wrong if we didn't worry. " I responded. There was a part of me that kicked myself for being honest about the " _I worry about you"_ part. But I didn't care. I really meant and wanted Annabeth to hear that.

"That's the thing Seaweed Brain. You worry about me TOO much. I'm being a nuisance for that."

"Annabeth, it's not a nuisance for me. Your problems are NOT a nuisance. Besides you would have done the same for me anyways if I had the same problem." We both looked at each other. She wanted to argue but couldn't. She knew I was right.

"Plus, don't you feel better that I'm here now?" I continued.

"A little bit. Still super ticked at you for being persistent on seeing me," she muttered.

I grinned and laughed. Annabeth couldn't help but laugh too. "That's good to hear. So you've been in your room the whole day?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. Watching the History Channel. Some Family Feud and the Price is Right."

I whistled. "Never thought the Wise Girl would spend a whole day doing nothing but I've been proved wrong." I joked.

Annabeth punched me in the shoulders. "Shut up." Her punched hurt, of course, as usual, but I didn't mind. I was happy. Annabeth punching me usually meant she was getting back to her old self.

"You seriously need to go outside and get some fresh air! You can't stay inside the whole day lazy girl."

"Ugh, come on Percy! I just want to stay inside for one day! You already forced me out of my room!" she moaned.

"Well, first, you should thank me for that. Second, I never forced you to leave. You came out yourself." I pointed out

"Well, after all the pestering and badgering I had no choice!" she shot back.

"Hey, I wasn't pestering! I was merely suggesting you come out of your room."

Annabeth glared at me. "Did I ever mention you're the most annoying person in the whole world!"

I laughed. "That is true. And I'm not going to stop being that until you say yes to going outside."

Annabeth moaned again. "Ugh, fine. Where will you take me Mr. Annoying?" she declared, giving me a side eye.

 _Mr. Annoying? Really? I know you can come up with a better nickname than that!_

I flashed Annabeth a sarcastic grin. "Let's say that when I'm feeling down, homemade blue cookies usually lighten my mood."

* * *

 **For the Night**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I was first spending my entire day watching reruns of Pawn Stars on History Channel, as well as Steve Harvey on Family Feud (I never understood that show).

Now, I'm at Percy's apartment enjoying his mom's homemade blue cookies.

Yeah. Weird day.

I was still feeling down but Percy was right. Blue cookies with milk definitely made me feel better. Also, Miss Jackson (she keeps insisting on calling her Sally but I can't bring myself to call her that) was extremely warm, kind, and open. Being around her for a few seconds could brighten anyone's mood.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that Annabeth," she said. "I hope you're feeling better now."

"I know, I'm really sad about it too. However, I'm feeling better now Miss Jackson, especially after eating these cookies. They're delicious, as usual."

"Annabeth, how many times do I have to say, just call me Sally! And, it's no big deal. You can stay here as long as you need to." she said, smiling.

"Thanks so much," I responded, smiling back. Having not been to Percy's place in so long, I forgot how sweet Miss Jackson was.

I missed her.

"So, what I told you?" Percy started as he was lounging back on his couch. "Feel better?"

"You're right, " I admitted. "I do feel better." as I sat next to him. He grinned. I also admitted something else. Though I didn't say this to Percy, just being around him made me feel better.

Percy turned on his tv and started to broadcast Netflix. "Also, some good old episodes of _The Office_ should brighten your mood."

My eyes widened. "The Office? Gosh, I haven't seen that show in forever!" I exclaimed, excitement in my voice.

"And that's why we're going to watch it right now," he replied, flashing me his iconic Percy grin. Percy then pressed play and for the next hour, we were binge-watching episodes from the second season. I was able to forget the problems with my dad quite quickly as I was laughing and giggling.

It was during the middle of one episode that I began to have a random memory flashback. It was around seventh grade. Percy had invited me over to his apartment. He had been so hesitant to take me there for so long. I understood why when I came over. Miss Jackson had embarrassed him, assuming that I was his girlfriend.

Of course, we WEREN'T, you know, together, just to be absolutely positively clear! However, we were joking about it, playing pretend boyfriend/girlfriend.

I didn't know why we did that but it was kind of cute.

I didn't realize but I was smiling openly, getting nostalgic over the memory. Percy took notice and asked, "What are you smiling at Annabeth?"

"Oh. Oh, um Nothing. I was just remembering the first time I came over here. Your mom had thought I was your girlfriend. We were fooling around about that."

Percy looked at me for a while, clearly caught off guard by my random memory flashback. "Um, yeah, I remember that. Again, we were just goofing around, to be clear." he quickly said. Percy looked a bit flustered, which made me smile. He then quickly cleared his throat and added, "Of course, the joke is on me. You have the god-like boyfriend now. I, on the other hand, have been single for quite some time." he muttered.

I laughed. "Hey, you'll find someone eventually, I know you will," I said, looking at Percy sincerely. Percy didn't meet my eye. He looked wistful like he was doubting that. I felt sad. I knew there was a girl out there for Percy.

I decided to lighten Percy up and joked, "Besides, you weren't half bad as a fake boyfriend." I smirked.

Percy broke his frown and laughed as well. "Doesn't mean anything. Still single, remember?"

"Hey, you can practice your boyfriend etiquette skills in the meantime with me. How about you go and refill my cup with milk, pleaaassee." I joked, harkening back to our old memory where I had Percy get me a glass of milk.

"Your kidding right?" he said staring at me.

"No, I'm not," I replied, smiling.

"Ugh, this is because I want to make you feel better okay Wise Girl?" I grinned as Percy got up, took my cup, and headed to the kitchen to pour some milk. Percy handed me my cup.

"How about a kiss?" I joked. Back then when I said that, Percy had looked annoyed, not a fan of my antics. I was expecting the same reaction now. However, to my utter surprise, Percy kissed me on the forehead, almost without hesitation.

"This is because I care for you Wise Girl," he said, expression and tone serious. "Don't forget that, ever." He then sat back down on the couch. I was stunned. The kiss, the way he said _"I care for you"_ , Percy had meant it all.

Still shocked, I managed an awkward "Um, t ... thanks, Seaweed Brain." However, inside, my heart was breaking a bit. His actions and words were all heartfelt and genuine. I was reminded, yet again, how awesome and caring of a friend Percy was.

I almost wanted to cry.

We continued to watch some episodes from the Office, though my mind was still on what happened previously. Eventually, I slowly grew tired. It had been a long day. I hadn't slept much last night and I had been through such an emotional rollercoaster today, from anger to sadness, to gratefulness. Grateful that Percy was there for me. I willed myself to stay awake but my tiredness eventually won. Eventually, I gave in and closed my eyes for a bit. I then fell asleep. The last thing I remembered was my head and body falling and resting on something soft...

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I might have crossed the line when I kissed Annabeth on the forehead. However, at the time, I really didn't care. I wanted to let her now that I cared for her. It was important for Annabeth to understand that.

It would probably be by tomorrow that the sensible part of me goes o _h shit did you know what you just did? You kissed your best friend on the forehead!_ _She has a boyfriend!_ However, Annabeth had that ability to make me more open and honest.

 _Just not honest enough to tell her your feelings for her_ _though..._

Eventually, I noticed Annabeth growing tired. She started yawning. It was understandable. She was probably exhausted going through all the things she went through. However, all of a sudden, Annabeth fell asleep, her head and body resting on my shoulder.

I was stunned. Then embarrassed. _My crush is sleeping on my shoulder!_ I tried my very best to not look at her but it's hard when you have a girl as freaking hot as Annabeth LITERALLY sleeping on you. Eventually, I gave in. I looked over at her and started to admire. God, Annabeth looked great. Her blond hair was in a cute tangled mess around her face. Annabeth was snoring softly. I could see her friendship necklace glistening under the light. Annabeth had a content, happy look on her face.

To add to the embarrassment, my mom entered the living room, about to tell us that dinner was ready. However, as she saw Annabeth sleeping on me, her face erupted in a big smile.

"Aww, how cute!" she commented, jumping a bit.

"Mom!" I whispered though it was more of a refrained scream. My face reddened. "Annabeth just fell asleep on me randomly, that's it!"

"Right, on your shoulder, on the couch, lying next to you…"

"Mom!"

"Percy, you sure you two aren't, you know…" she began.

"MOM!"

"Alright, alright. I'll be quiet! Enjoy yourselves, you two." she said continuing to giggle as she headed into the kitchen. I resisted the urge to scream out loud in embarrassment. For the rest of the time, I tried to keep as still as possible, which was hard considering how fidgety of a person I was. However, I didn't want to bother Annabeth at all while she was sleeping.

Um, because that would be rude as a friend.

 _Obviously..._

Annabeth continued to sleep on my shoulder for the next few minutes. However, it felt like an eternity. Eventually, Annabeth slowly started to wake up.

 _Oh, gods_. _What to say, what to say..._

* * *

( _ **Annabeth POV)**_

I woke up. I rubbed my eyes, taking in my surroundings. I then remembered I was at Percy's place. I also realized something more embarrassing. I had fallen asleep on Percy's shoulder.

"Oh, um, sorry Percy." I stammered, my face reddening. I brushed my hair back nervously. "Hope you didn't mind that," I stated, opting for a reserved smile.

"Um, no problem Wise Girl. No problem at all!" he said, giving me a half-grin. His face, however, was red like mine. "Uh, how ... how did you sleep?"

"To be honest, pretty good. You don't make a bad pillow Seaweed Brain." I responding, trying to joke and deescalate the clearly awkward situation.

"Oh, that's...that's good Annabeth." he quickly replied with a half-hearted laugh. We sat there in weird silence for a while. Thankfully, Percy broke it. "Oh, dinner is ready I think."

"Oh, gods!" I looked at the time on his cable box. It was 8 pm. "I should be leaving soon before it gets too dark. Thanks for everything Percy! I really appreciate this." I stood up, heading towards the front door. However, Miss Jackson stopped me before I could exit.

"Annabeth, you should stay for dinner first. I don't want you to go home hungry."

"That's really kind of you Miss Jackson. But I should be going. I don't want to my babysitter Samantha to worry. It's getting late."

"Come on Annabeth, have dinner with us. It'll be fun! You..you know what?" Miss Jackson said, her eyes brightening. "Why don't you sleep over here for the night?"

"Sleepover?" Percy and I simultaneously responded. We hadn't had a sleepover together since 8th grade.

"Yeah, why not? It's Saturday weekend tomorrow! You both have nothing to do I assume. I can call Samantha and let her know you'll be staying here. I'm sure she won't mind!"

"Yeah, but I didn't bring any change of clothes to sleep in."

"Percy has some spare pajamas. I think they'll fit you." I was a little shorter than Percy so she was right.

I wanted to say no. Percy and Miss Jackson had been more than kind to me after all that happened. I felt like I was taking advantage of them. However, Miss Jackson seemed eager for me to sleep over. I didn't want to be rude by rejecting her offer.

Also, sleeping over at Percy's place. That could be fun! It would also continue to help me ignore my problems with dad. "Ok, I'll stay for the night, Miss Jackson. Thank you! Of course, if Percy is okay with that."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Imagine your crush sleeping on your shoulder. Afterward, you find out that she'll be sleeping over at your house.

For the whole night.

I looked at Annabeth, who was anxiously looking back at me, nervous smile.

I couldn't say no. I didn't want to say no. Why should I say no?

 _Um because you have a crush on her, you idiot..._

However, I finally said, "Um, sure Annabeth. I don't mind at all." ignoring my thoughts.

Annabeth smiled. "Alright. Awesome!" as she high fived me.

My mom smiled as well. "Great.! I'll get you some clothes and PJs Annabeth as soon as dinner is over!"

As we headed into the kitchen, I kept telling myself. It's just a sleepover.

 _Just a sleepover_...

* * *

 **Good Night kiss/not kiss**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Dinner was great.

Percy's mom had cooked some pasta and meatballs, which were delicious, as expected. We ate and joked the entire time. The Jacksons were such a fun and open family to be around. It reminded me a bit of when I was younger when dad and I actually ate dinner together at the same table.

 _Ugh, why can't it be the same with me?_

Pretty soon, dinner concluded Miss Jackson got up. "Alright, I'll get the sleeping bags you two! Percy, let Annabeth sleep on your bed. You sleep on the floor."

"No, that's alright. You guys are being way too nice. I'll just sleep on the floor. Besides, Percy's bed is probably real messy anyways." I joked.

Percy shot me a death glare. "First, thanks for the comment," he muttered making me and his mom laugh. "Second, you are NOT sleeping on the floor by yourself Annabeth. If you're sleeping on the floor, I'm sleeping on the floor as well."

"Why aren't you a gentlemen Percy!" his mom commented, making me giggle and Percy blush. "Alright, I'll get an extra sleeping bag. In the meantime Percy, you can show Annabeth to your room."

As her mom went get some sleeping bags from, Percy turned to me. "You've been here before right?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Unless you're forgetting about when I would spend hours and hours here after school when we were younger, then no..." I joked.

Percy chuckled. "Oh, well, yeah obviously, apart from that. It's just...you haven't been here as much since..." he said, Percy's voice wavering off in the end. He looked sad, as was I. Ever since I started dating Luke, I stopped coming over to Percy's house altogether.

Now, though, I made a promise I wouldn't ignore Percy any longer.

"Well, a refresher tour wouldn't hurt," I commented, trying to lighten the mood up. Percy grinned, which made me smile.

"Hmm, good idea." Percy led me towards his room. We stood outside of his doorway. Percy's bedroom door was painted blue. There was also a bunch of little signs on it such as "do not enter" and "please do not disturb". I also noticed something else. It was a drawing. As I looked more closely, I realized that it was my drawing, of his apartment place, that I did when I was in 7th grade.

"No way, you ... you kept that drawing?" I asked, bewildered.

"Um yeah, I did."

"But it's so bad Percy! I mean, the proportions are all wrong. The shading is off. The.."

"Hey, I always thought it was really cool," he interjected. "I mean, it's my apartment after all. And you made it Annabeth."

I smiled. Percy was own of few people who always appreciated my sketchings, even if others or I myself didn't.

"Thank."

"No problem Wise Girl. Well, I guess I should show you my actual room." Percy then opened his door. I slowly entered. Compared to before, it hadn't changed much at all. It was still as messy as expected, albeit not as terrible as I would remember at times (I'll give Percy points for being somewhat neat. Good job Seaweed Brain!). His room was painted entirely blue as well (Percy really has a thing for blue as you can tell). He had his skateboards and surfboards stuffed in a closet on the side. In another part of the room, Percy kept his accolades he had won in middle and high school being part of the swim team.

"I have to say, Seaweed Brain, I thought your room would be messier than this," I stated.

"Wow thanks, I feel redeemed now." I laughed out loud. I then sat on the edge of his bed as Percy stood in the middle of the room. We stayed that way for a while, not saying anything. I then looked at the side of his bed, to his night drawer. Percy had his alarm clock, phone charger, and some pieces of gum. I also noticed something else. On top, there was what appeared to be a picture.

"Ooo, what's this?" I asked.

A worried look started to form on Percy's face. "Um, no, you don't want to… " I then grabbed the picture before Percy could stop me and looked at it. My eyes widened. I laughed out loud. It was a picture of Percy as a little kid! He was on the beach playing in the sand, making some sand castles. His jet black hair looked wet as if he had just come back from a long swim. Percy was skinnier and less muscular as well. I was amazed how much Percy had changed now compared to the photo. Percy was smiling sheepishly and half-heartedly at the camera as if he didn't want to be photographed in the first place.

"Oh my gods, that's you, Percy!" I said smiling widely.

"Um yeah," he replied, red-faced

"You were SO cute when you were young!" I continued giggling. "And a little dorky as well I should say!"

"Gee thanks." Percy murmured, the red on his face pinkening. I continued to laugh. Percy was probably kicking himself in the shin for leaving that picture out in the first place.

"Alright, alright, enough of _lets-embarrass-Percy_ Annabeth. Give me that!"

"Let me take a quick photo first and then I'll give it to you," I stated, taking my phone out.

"Oh, no you are NOT going to do that."

"Oh come on Percy! I'm not going to show this to anyone! Well, maybe Hazel, Piper, Silena. And of course, I have to show Grover and Frank and ... ok, never mind I'm just lying." I admitted, smiling mischievously.

"Give me the photo Wise Girl!" he exclaimed.

"Make me Seaweed Brain," I told him. He then lunged after me on the bed. I was first surprised but then regained my focus. We fell down on his bed as Percy was on top, wrestling me, extended his arms out as he tried to snatch the photo out of my hand. However, I held the photo high and away from him.

When we were younger, Percy would have probably won the fight. But I was just as strong as him now. So it was even.

"Give up already!" he declared.

"Never!" I said through mixed yelping and laughing. We continued wrestling with each other, fighting for the photo. Miss Jackson suddenly came into the room, sleeping bags in hand. As she saw us, she commented. "You two look like you're having fun."

Percy immediately got off of me. He stood up, as did I, our complexions red.

"Um, we ... we were just fighting over a photo mom." Percy stammered.

"Yeah, that's it!" I quickly added, flustered. "I was just joking with Percy about one of his baby pictures!" I mentally kicked myself for that comment. _Why did I feel the need to explain that? Nothing was going on! We were just wrestling! That's all._

"Ok. Here are your sleeping bags. I'll leave you two to be for now." she said as she exited the room. Though I couldn't tell for sure, it looked like Miss Jackson was grinning.

I then punched Percy.

"Ow, what's that for?" he exclaimed.

"That's for wrestling me! And, between," I said, taking my phone out and snapping a picture of Percy's baby picture in front of him. "I won. Haha." sticking my tongue out.

Percy had a frustrated look on his face. "I. Hate. You." he managed. However, he couldn't help but laugh after and I did too. Gods, I forgot how much fun hanging out with Percy at his place was. We soon forgot about the whole baby picture ordeal. The rest of the night, we spent listening to music and chatting. We were re-listening to some of our old favorite songs. We're both big Vicetone fans and I was playing one of their songs on my phone, their remix of _Zedd ft Foxes - Clarity_.

This was the song that made us fans of the group. It had such a positive, happy vibe to it. That's probably why Percy and I loved the song.

Before I realized, it was 1 am.

 _It's really late._

We laid out our sleeping bags on the bedroom floor and got into them. I wanted to fall asleep but there was something plaguing me still. Something I needed to say to Percy right then and there.

I turned to Percy.

"Hey, Percy I ... I never got to say thank you. For everything today. I ... I really appreciate what you did for me."

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, we're friends! Nothing to thank me for Annabeth." I smiled. I started to recall everything Percy did, just for me. Coming all the way to my house in Brooklyn to see if I was ok. Talking to me. Taking me to his house. Comforting me.

Just because he cares...

Sort of instinctively, I punched Percy in the shoulders again.

"Ow!" he exclaimed as Percy sat upright in his sleeping bag. Percy looked angry. "Ok Wise Girl! I'm ok with you punching me but what gives! Are you always going to do that randomly? I mean, at least give me a warning or.." I smiled ... I then, without hesitation, reached over and kissed Percy on his cheeks, cutting off his tirade. His expression turned from anger to shock.

"Um, uh, w ... what was that for?" he asked, blushing a bit.

"It's my way of saying I care for you too Seaweed Brain. Just like you care about me." I softly replied.

"Um, o...ok Thanks." he stammered, making me laugh a bit. Maybe it was weird to say this but I was liked our new way of showing each other how we cared for one another. It felt real and genuine.

"Well, good night Wise Girl. Sweet dreams."

"Good night Seaweed Brain. Sweet dreams too." I said closing my eyes. My smile persisted as I drifted off to sleep. Even though I still felt sad about the whole ordeal with my dad, spending the day with Percy made me forget about those problems. Percy always made my mood better.

I also realized something else. I might not have my dad, but I had Percy. I could lose my dad but I couldn't lose Percy. He was important to me.

 _I needed him._

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Annabeth had kissed me

 _A kiss_!

Sure, it wasn't on the lips. It was on the cheeks. But it was a kiss nonetheless. A soft, sweet, and sincere kiss. She followed it up by saying she cared for me as much as I cared for her.

It was then that I realized I might not have a crush on Annabeth. That was too soft of a word to describe my feelings for her. I cared for her. I worried about her. Seeing her happy made me feel happy. When she slept on my shoulder on the couch, I did everything I could to not disturb her.

When Annabeth finally said that she cared for me and kissed me on my cheeks, my heart was doing a million flips inside like a dolphin out at sea.

 _No, I think I'm in love with Annabeth..._

* * *

 **Whoa. Percy admits that he's in love with Annabeth. And Annabeth kisses him on the cheek. The part of me that has a Percabeth addiction (every part really) is doing some flips right now :D  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed it! Things are starting to pick up between the two, hmm.**

 **Favs, follows, and reviews are always VERY much appreciated.**

 **Your boy FrictionFiction108 is signing out now.**


	5. Chapter 5: Date

**Glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. Your reviews and feedback were all incredible!**

 **I honestly love writing this story. Even though admittedly it's a bit cumbersome (partly my fault because I write so freaking much), this definitely makes my day a whole lot better.**

 **However, getting new follows and reading great reviews keeps me motivated. So if you can do those things, please do, especially review.**

 **Pwetty pwetty, pwease.**

 **Er, anyways, here's Chapter 5! They're date. Well, not date date but "date" if you understand that :).**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: "Date"**

 **Change of Plans**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I woke up to find myself staring directly at Annabeth.

Two thoughts ran through my head. _Ok, I am still dreaming. Annabeth is in my apartment. No way._ Then, realizing she was ACTUALLY in my apartment, another more horrific came to me.

 _Crap, she saw me sleep. I really hope I didn't drool or do anything stupid._ The first time Annabeth caught me drooling, she had made known her ... displeasure, if you would, of the habit, saying " _you drool when you sleep"_ while rolling her eyes. Annabeth had made fun of me for a whole week for the little incident.

I really REALLY hoped that habit didn't resurface last night.

"Good morning Seaweed Brain." Annabeth smiled.

"Uh, good morning to you to Wise Girl," I responded. Annabeth was crouching down next to me on her knees. Her sharp gray eyes stared at me with wide amusement. Her long, blond hair was freshly washed and curled down to her shoulders. Annabeth was wearing one of my old Yankee baseball t-shirts and some blue sweatpants.

She looked really good.

 _How did Annabeth look better in my own clothes than I did?_

"Uh, w ... what time is it now?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, trying to get a feel for my surroundings.

"Around 10. I woke up earlier to help your mom make breakfast." Annabeth then added. "By the way, you were drooling while sleeping." she said, smirking.

Unfortunately, she remembered the whole drooling incident as well.

I cursed to myself silently. _Dammit, one job! You had one job! Not to drool!_ "Um, sorry for that." I awkwardly replied. I thought she was going to berate me. However, Annabeth just laughed. Eventually, though embarrassed, I had to laugh as well. Her laugh was really cute.

I think I mentioned that so many times already but still.

"You should shower and get dressed before breakfast gets cold Seaweed Brain. There are some pancakes, orange juice, and some bacon on the table."

"Bacon?" I inquired, my eyes lighting up. Bacon was probably, along with pizza and burgers, one of my personal top favorite foods.

"Yes. And I'm going to eat it all if you don't hurry up so you better get moving!" she happily said, flashing me a cute smile as she exited my room. I sat there for a while, just going through my head how awesome Annabeth is. First, I wake up to see her smiling at me. Then, she laughs off my little drooling incident. Finally, she helps make me breakfast that included bacon.

 _Bacon for crying out loud_!

Gods, no wonder I like this girl.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I felt really good that Saturday morning.

I don't know why. I ... I just felt good. Spending the night at Percy's place was fun and relieving. I was able to forget my argument with dad.

I was sitting next to Percy as we were eating alongside his mom. I had planned from the night before to help her make breakfast. Miss Jackson kept telling me it wasn't necessary but I insisted. It was the least I could do to repay her kindness.

Percy was wolfing down his 6th slice of bacon when he said, "Oh my gods. This bacon is fantastic!"

"You should thank Annabeth for that. She helped cook it." Miss Jackson interjected, smiling.

"Really?" Percy noted, looking at me. He whistled. "Damn you've got some skills Wise Girl."

I reddened a bit. "Hey, I just placed it on an oven tray and baked it. That's all!"

"Yeah, and when I do the exact same thing it burns every time."

I laughed. "You're being too sweet Percy."

"And you're being too awesome Annabeth," he responded. I smiled as well as Miss Jackson. I think she was reminded of the fact how much she missed me coming to her place.

"So Miss Jackson," I asked, trying to expand the conversation. "You have any plans today?"

"Annabeth, I'm seriously going to start getting angry at you if you keep calling me Miss Jackson!" However, we both chuckled. Miss Jackson being angry was a hard thing to envision.

"Well today, I just have to meet up with a friend of mine that I met in college. His name is Paul Blofis."

"Oh, that's nice. What does he do?"

"He's an English teacher at a high school. He's helping me with a novel I'm currently writing."

"He sounds pretty cool."

"Yeah, he's great." she began. Maybe it was just me but the way Miss Jackson said Mr. Blofis's name sounded kind of dreamy, almost like she liked the guy.

Percy chuckled, noticing the same thing. "Mom has a thing for this Blowfish guy." he teased.

"What? No, I don't! And, Percy, it's _Blofis,_ not Blowfish! How many times do I have to remind you?"

Percy then did a bad imitation of his mom's voice. " _Yeah, he's great_ ".

"Percy!" Miss Jackson exclaimed, her face bright red as Percy and I chuckled. It was refreshing to see Percy the one embarrass his mother than the other way around. However, Miss Jackson couldn't help but laugh as well after a while.

Man, did I mention the Jacksons were an awesome family to hang out with?

"So, what are you guys planning on doing?" Miss Jackson questioned, trying to change the topic of conversation.

Percy shrugged. "Not much mom. I'm going to go play some basketball with Grover and Jason in the evening. Maybe get some homework done. That's it."

"I have to go to Luke's football game tonight but other than that nothing," I added. I paused. "I ... I was supposed to go to the American Museum of Natural History with my dad in the afternoon. I had two admission tickets." I got sad again thinking of dad. I was really looking forward to going to the museum with him.

Percy noticed my sadness. "Maybe you can go another time with your dad Annabeth. When do the tickets expire?" he asked, trying to make me feel better.

I shook my head. "No. The tickets are valid only for today. And, besides, I'm not looking to go with my dad." I murmured bitterly.

Percy stayed silent for a while, understanding I was still angry at my dad. He then commented, "At the very least you could get a refund for those tickets."

"Yeah, maybe," I half-heartedly uttered, though I wasn't really concerned about getting my money back.

"I'm really sorry about that Annabeth. I wish you could have gone." Miss Jackson commented, reaching her hand out to comfort me. However, her eyes then lit up, similar to yesterday when she had an idea.

"You know what Annabeth? You could go with Percy instead!"

Percy and I looked up. "Go together?"

"I mean, why not? Percy is not doing anything this afternoon. And I think it would be pretty fun and informative for him to go to the museum for once! I've always been pushing Percy to stop being so lazy on the weekends." she teased, which got a glare from Percy.

I grinned. I thought about it for a bit. _Museum visit with Percy._ That wouldn't be bad at all. Actually, I would consider that pretty awesome! On top of it, it would be a great way to repay him for yesterday.

It was perfect!

"You know, that's a great idea, Miss Jackson!" I turned to Percy "What you say Seaweed Brain? You me? Museum trip?" I smiled. "My way of saying thank you for what you did yesterday."

Percy first looked at his mom "First of all, I should note, I am NOT lazy. Thanks, mom." he muttered as his mother laughed. "Second, Annabeth, you don't need to repay for anything. I'm serious."

"Percy, I want to repay you. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me. Plus, your mom is right. It could be fun."

"I mean, yeah, I guess it would be fun." he remarked.

"So, it's a deal Seaweed Brain?" I asked, holding my hand out.

Percy high fived it. "I guess it's a deal Wise Girl."

* * *

 **Ice Cream**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Museum trip. A museum trip with Annabeth. That's it.

Frankly, I wasn't the biggest fans of museums. Whenever I would go to one on school field trips, it would be a great opportunity for the bullies at school to cause trouble and to tease me. And of course, _I'm_ the one that gets blamed for the troubles and mishaps that happen.

So, yeah, museums and I don't exactly have a fond relationship.

However, none of that mattered at the moment. The only thing that I was thinking was I was going with Annabeth.

I went into my bedroom to get changed. I was trying to find something nice, presentable to wear to the museum.

I suddenly stopped myself. _Wait, what am I doing? Why are you so worried about what you're wearing? For gods sakes, you're just going to the museum! Just a trip to the museum with Annabeth._

I exited my room, deciding to wear some faded blue jeans and a green Adidas t-shirt. Annabeth decided to continue to wear my Yankees shirt and blue sweatpants. She also grabbed an Oxford sweater she brought from home before she came.

Did I say she looked great? Yeah, I think I did.

We said bye to my mom first before we headed out.

"The subway is two blocks from here. We can take the train a few stops then transfer to an uptown one to the West Side." I told Annabeth as I was about to head in the direction of the subway stop.

Annabeth looked at me for a bit, disbelief on her face. "Percy, the weather outside is great! It's almost 60! And you want to take the subway?"

"I mean, I don't mind walking at all," I mentioned. That part was true. I liked walking with Annabeth. "I was just thinking that maybe you didn't want to walk that far."

Annabeth laughed a little. "Hmm, and you said I was the lazy girl," she muttered.

"Hey!" I protested. She laughed again. "It's okay Percy. Walking is fine with me. Besides, AMNH is right across through Central Park. A little walk in the park would be nice." As Annabeth said that, I was doing some backflips on the inside.

 _Walk through Central Park with Annabeth_.

First, as I said, walking with her is awesome. Second, in all the cheesy romance films set in New York, the couples would always take a stroll through Central Park.

So, I was pretty excited.

However, my rational part of my brain was going _Hey, but it's not romantic! It's two friends walking through Central Park. That's it!_

Still, I couldn't help but look forward to it. I played it cool, though. "Um, yeah that would be nice."

We then headed into the park. The sun was still out as it was nearing afternoon. I saw some joggers, as well as couples, on the same sidewalk as us. The couples, especially, had happy looks on their faces. On the nearby lawn, there were people sprawled out on the grass resting on blankets and towels, soaking in the great weather. There were also some college kids playing football and frisbee, having a great time. I took note of some musicians playing saxophone and drums nearby, a group of kids and adults combined gathered around dancing to the music.

It was all beautiful.

Annabeth and I were about halfway to the museum when we came across an ice cream stand in the middle. A bunch of little kids was standing in line to get some. Annabeth winced a little when she took note of the stand. She turned to me.

"Percy, remember when we were younger? I bought some ice cream from a guy and he spilled some accidentally on me?"

I frowned. Gosh, that was SO long ago. It was summer. We were around 13. Annabeth and I were outside playing some basketball (I think she kicked my butt by the way in that game) We were really hot afterward so we went to get some ice cream, Annabeth vanilla, and chocolate on a sugar cone. However, the ice cream guy had been really clumsy and accidentally spilled some chocolate ice cream on one of Annabeth's favorite shirts, the one with a picture of the Empire State Building on it.

She had been upset the entire day.

"You still remember that? That was so long ago!"

"Yeah. But I mean looking back, it was kind of funny. The man was acting super nice and apologetic afterward. And the whole time I wanted to rip his head off." Annabeth stated, laughing half-heartedly.

"I didn't think it was funny." I slowly commented.

"Well, now you know why I have a personal affliction to ice cream stands." she joked. "Come on, let's get to the museum." Though she was joking, I felt bad for Annabeth. I could still vividly remember how sad she looked that day.

An idea sprang into my head.

I looked at the ice cream guy in front of us. He still had some vanilla and chocolate left. "You know what, I'll buy you one! Right now. This time, I'll be extra sure they don't spill it on your shirt."

Annabeth stopped me. "Oh Percy, you don't have to! Besides, we're going to be late to the museum."

"Come on Annabeth, it's alright, it's on me. We still have some time left. Besides, I can't imagine the torture of not being able to enjoy eating ice cream from a stand."

A little smile emerged on her face. "Alright, Seaweed Brain." I went up to the guy and asked for some chocolate and vanilla on a sugar cone. I also made a request to make the scoops a bit bigger, for Annabeth.

The ice cream guy looked at Annabeth, then back at me. He smiled. "This for your pretty girlfriend over there?" he asked.

I blushed. "No!" I quickly said. "She's just a friend! That's it!"

The man shrugged. "Mmm, whatever you say." He then gave me my ice cream. I quickly paid the man and left.

I walked back towards Annabeth, trying to forget the whole exchange I had with the man. I then handed the cone to her, which she gladly took. We sat at one of the empty benches nearby. Annabeth was licking her ice cream slowly as I sat and watched her. She looked really happy. Honestly, I would've been content just continuing to admire Annabeth eat and enjoy her ice cream the rest of the day.

"So, whaddya think?" I asked.

"It's awesome! I forgot how good the ice cream from these places was."

"See what you've been missing Wise Girl?" I told her, as Annabeth laughed. She then placed the ice cream near my mouth.

"Here Percy, try some."

I put my hands up ."No, it's okay. I bought it just for you."

"Percy, it's your ice cream as well. You bought it. Besides, I don't think I can finish. It's way too big."

"Really, Annabeth, I'm okay..."

"Please, just take some Seaweed Brain," she demanded. Realizing she wouldn't let up, I conceded and tried some as Annabeth held the cone to my face. It was pretty good, as she said.

"Alright. That's enough for me." I finally announced after some licks.

"Oh come on Percy. You barely had some! I'm NOT going to take this ice cream away from your mouth until you had more!"

"Ugh, fine. You're so persistent, Wise Girl." I muttered as I stuck my tongue out at Annabeth, making her smirk. She was about to feed me some more. However, instead of putting it near my mouth, she had accidentally put the ice cream on my nose.

I came away with a chocolate covered nose.

"Oh my gods Percy, I'm sorry!" Annabeth exclaimed. She handed me the ice cream while she grabbed some napkins. "I didn't mean to do that!" as she cleaned the ice cream from my nose.

"That's okay Annabeth," I said, laughing. I wasn't angry at her at all. In fact, Annabeth had given me an evil, genius idea. As she continued to use the napkin to clean my nose, I used my finger to grab some chocolate ice cream and put it on her nose.

"I guess we're even now," I told Annabeth, grinning and laughing.

Annabeth had a shocked look on her face. Realizing what happened, she rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh how mature Seaweed Brain!" she remarked. She then used her own fingers to grab some vanilla ice cream and put it on my cheeks.

"Hey!" I told her. Annabeth stuck her tongue out and laughed.

"Consider that appropriate payback," she replied, smiling.

"Oh, it's on Wise Girl." For the next few minutes, we were having a full on ice cream fight, Annabeth and I trading swipes trying to put ice cream on each other's faces. It was childish, to be honest, but we were having a lot of fun and laughing pretty hard. Pretty soon, however, our little ice cream fight had caught the attention of some passersbys. Some had curious looks like _really, 16-year-old kids having an ice cream fight_? _Grow up._ However, most were smiling. They were probably under the impression that we were a couple fooling around.

Of course, WE WERE NOT!

We quickly stopped what we were doing as we realized the attention we were getting. Annabeth and I quickly cleaned ourselves up. We sat in awkward silence for a while.

I cleared my throat. "Um, we should get going to the museum Annabeth. Before it gets too late."

"Yeah, let me, uh, finish my ice cream first." Annabeth quickly added. The awkward silence continued as Annabeth licked her ice cream, quite faster than before. I was looking around at the other pedestrians, trying to forget what happened.

 _Wait, nothing happened. Why am I concerned?_

* * *

 **Museum**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

We continued to walk to the museum. Percy and I were making some half-hearted conversation throughout. However, I couldn't help but think about what happened before with the ice cream fight.

Gods, I had lost my cool and calmness in that situation. And everyone saw it. How embarrassing! Annabeth Chase does _not_ participate in ice cream fights!

 _Ugh, why do these sort of things always happen when I'm with Seaweed Brain!_

Thankfully, we finally arrived at the front steps of AMNH.

I stood outside from a distance and took a moment to appreciate the architecture. Although personally, AMNH wasn't my favorite architectural structure in NYC (I would give that title to the Grand Central Terminal at 42nd street), it still looked incredible. From what I read, the museum was modeled after Victorian-Gothic buildings, which were well known for their decorative patterns. At the time the museum was first built, it would have been one of the biggest structures in NYC. At the very top, etched on the walls, one could see the words TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, and VISION.

Percy was looking at me the whole time as I continued to admire the architecture. He grinned. "You know, I had a fairly certain hunch that you would want to spend some time outside admiring the architecture."

I smiled at Percy and nudged him on the arm. "You know me too well. I mean I can't help but appreciate the design. It's amazing!"

He smiled back. "It certainly is. Come on, we should head in. It's also pretty amazing from what I heard."

We headed in. Inside, we were greeted by the iconic exhibit of the skeleton of what once a dinosaur, the barosaurus if I'm correct. Now, I've been to the American Museum Natural History before, mostly when I was younger. Yet, every time, I'm always mesmerized by this exhibit. Apart from its sheer size, it fascinated me that creatures of that magnitude existed earlier before in history, way before we existed.

Percy was also looking at the exhibit in awe. He then gave a little laugh. "You know, I haven't told anyone this Annabeth, but for a long time, I've been a bit freaked out by dinosaur skeleton exhibits."

I looked at Percy, thinking he was joking. "Are you serious?"

Percy nodded his head. "Yeah. I think it was because of that Ben Stiller movie when he was still a good actor. _Night at the Museum._ I watched it when I was younger and was always freaked out by the dinosaur."

"You know that was a fiction movie, right?"

"Hey, I knew that! But, I always thought, you know, dinosaurs were alive before. And we still have their bones. Maybe it was sort of possible!"

I rolled my eyes. "Your brain is full of kelp." I joked.

"Hey! Again, I was just a little kid back then!" he protested as I laughed. Percy moaned to himself. He then grabbed a nearby tour map.

"Well then, where should we head first?" he asked, obviously trying to change the topic.

I smiled. Gosh, there were so many exhibits to get to. It was going to be a very long day.

"I guess we'll start with the Hall of Biodiversity."

* * *

 **Space Show**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I always liked museums. They were such a fascinating, interactive way of being able to learn, whether it was history, art, or anything for that matter.

Going to the museum with Percy was especially fun.

We went to all the exhibits, which was pretty hard because there were SO many. There was the Mammal Halls, Fossil Halls, Biodiversity and Environmental Halls, and countless others. There was also my personal favorite, the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

I couldn't help but smile the entire time, Percy as well. He was just as fascinated as I was with all the exhibits, especially the ones with the sea creatures. We were standing for a while underneath the model of the giant blue whale in the center of the exhibit, which was absolutely massive. I remember taking so many photos with Percy underneath the whale making silly, weird faces with him.

Later on in the day, we went to the exhibit filled with insects and other similar species.

Now, let me be clear, I'm NOT scared of those things. Well, maybe mildly annoyed. However, when it came to spiders, forget about it. I absolutely HATE spiders. Hate hate hate them! Those things are creepy, hairy nightmares! I honestly do not think I can come within a mile of spiders, let alone walk through an entire exhibit of them.

Unfortunately, the museum had tons of them on display. We were walking through the exhibit, trying to get to the gem and minerals section. As we walked through, the spiders were on full display. Some were pretty small (they still freaked me though). Others, however, were large.

REALLY LARGE.

My arachnophobia began to kick in full gear.

I instinctively grabbed Percy's hand, trying to hold on to something comforting as we passed through the exhibit. He had a reddened look on his face as he saw what I was doing.

"Um?" he asked, looking at me.

I realized what I was doing and let go of his hand. "Oh, sorry, it's just..spiders. Ugh. I hate them." I said apologetically, a little red in the face as well. "Um, you don't have to hold my hand if you don't want to," I added.

Percy had a sympathetic look on his face. He was well aware of my arachnophobia. He then laced his hands into mine, smiling at me. "No, it's alright Annabeth. I know you hate spiders. Come on, the gems exhibit are down the hall I think. Just a little further". Percy softly said, squeezing my hand. I smiled back at him and squeezed his hand back. I probably should have been embarrassed holding hands with Percy but they felt so nice and comforting. I was able to deal with my fear as Percy led me out of the exhibit.

Finally, we arrived at the Rose Center, the last exhibit we planned to go to. As I said before, this was my favorite place in the entire museum. Besides the incredible space models, exhibits, and interactive items they contained, the manner in which they designed the Rose Center was pretty cool as well. The Rose Center was centered on a gigantic, white sphere which they called the Hayden Planetarium. Inside, one could see a short movie created by the museum called "Space Show" which talked about our universe. A spiraling walkway filled with information and models of the planets led to the entrance of the Hayden Planetarium.

Speaking of the Space Show, the tickets I bought included access for two. That was one of the main reasons I had been so excited to go with my dad. And excited to go with Percy. As I told him that we were about to go inside and watch the show, his eyes widened.

"No way. We're going in?"

I grinned. "Yep. In a few minutes!" Percy started pumping his fists in the air as I laughed and nudged him.

Man, Percy's excitement was contagious!

Finally, we were able to enter. We decided to sit near the back. Surprisingly, there weren't as many people who came to watch the show as I thought there would be. However, it was probably because the museum was about to close in an hour or so.

However, I didn't mind. In fact, I liked it. That meant more privacy and space for the two of us.

The way the movie worked was that as you sat, you stared above at the ceiling where they played the movie. The movie, itself, was pretty interesting. They were discussing the origins of the universe and gave overviews of each planet in our solar system. Also, the visuals were outstanding.

In the middle, I kind of accidentally rested my head on Percy's shoulders. It was partly to get a better view of the movie. Also, though I didn't want to admit, it felt nice to rest my head on him. It had been a long day and Percy felt so soft and comfortable to lay on. I was reminded of last night, when, while watching some Netflix, I had accidentally fallen asleep on his shoulders.

I had liked it.

 _Is that weird? No, it's not weird, is it?_

Thankfully, Percy didn't seem to mind. In fact, at the same time I rested my head on him, he began to wrap his arms around me in a comforting embrace. I didn't mind that either. In fact, I enjoyed Percy's embrace. His body felt so warm and relaxing. I felt at ease at the moment.

Finally, the movie ended. I was sad admittedly. There was a part of me that wanted to stay like that. But, we had to leave.

Percy and I then exited the Hayden Planetarium. As we headed down the walkway, Percy turned to me.

"So, Annabeth, how was today?" he asked.

I smiled. "It was incredible! I really enjoyed it." My face expression turned serious. "I really want to thank you, Percy. Not just for today but for everything."

"Hey, again, no big deal Annabeth. I should be the one thanking you for inviting me. I had a lot of fun today. We should definitely do this again!" he added, flashing me his usual sarcastic grin.

"Yeah, definitely!" I didn't realize it but we were holding hands while walking. We probably shouldn't have done that. But, honestly, I felt great at the moment that I didn't care at all. I felt nothing could have broken that feeling.

I spoke way too soon.

As we headed towards the exit, about to get some food, some pizza. However, as we were about to exit when we saw who was in front of us, we stopped immediately.

 _No way,_ I said to myself, in disbelief at who I was staring at. It was the last person I EVER expected to see at the museum on a Saturday afternoon.

Percy, as well, shared my disbelief. "No way Annabeth? Is that.."

"Percy, Annabeth? Oh, this is SO great!" the girl said sarcastically. She had on some designer jeans and an expensive shirt, presumably from Givenchy or some other overpriced fashion store. From our distance, I could tell she was wearing some overpriced perfumel. The girl had a big, nefarious smile on her face as she saw Percy and me.

It was Drew Tanaka.

* * *

 **Hanging Out**

 _ **(Drew POV)**_

I wasn't looking forward to going to the museum on a Saturday afternoon. It was for a stupid little assignment that my biology teacher assigned to the class. Something about observing organisms at the place I think. I honestly don't remember or care. I would have skipped the assignment but I wasn't doing that hot in class (don't blame me, biology is so boring!) so I was pretty much forced to go if I wanted a decent grade.

However, as I saw Annabeth, my number one enemy, and Percy alongside, I smiled.

 _I guess this museum trip won't be so boring after all!_

"Percy, Annabeth. Oh, this is SO great!" I said sarcastically.

"Drew," Annabeth stated, glaring at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I would say the same but it's pretty obvious," I said pointing at the two of them. "Hope you're enjoying your date you losers."

"We're NOT on a date! We're just hanging out, that's it!" Annabeth quickly replied.

"Yeah, and holding hands while at it," I said, snickering. Annabeth and Percy, realizing that they were holding hands the whole time, immediately broke it off, all to my pleasure. They had red looks on their faces.

"Drew," Percy began, trying to obviously change the subject of the situation. "I always knew you were knowledgeable about being a douche. Nice to see you trying to expand your learning in other areas." Percy joked, which made Annabeth laugh.

"Oh real nice waterboy," I snarled. "Seems like your girlfriend enjoys the joke."

"She's not my girlfriend! We're just hanging out together!" Percy exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Save it for later when Luke sees this. He's going to beat you up!" I told him as I snapped a picture of the two.

"Hey, delete that!" they both exclaimed. They then charged at me, trying to grab my phone away from my hand.

"Delete that!" Annabeth yelled.

"Hey, it's my phone! Hands off blonde girl." We proceeded to play tug of war with my phone, Percy, and Annabeth both grabbing on to the end as I tried to fend them off. Eventually, we were making a big enough scene for the security guards to notice and break us up. They then kicked us out. As we were outside, I turned to Annabeth, glaring at her.

"You and Luke are SO done after I show him this!" I said, smiling mischievously, walking away. Yeah, I was kicked out which meant that I couldn't do the biology assignment. That probably meant I was going to fail bio.

But I didn't care at that point. Annabeth and Luke were most likely done.

And that was good enough consolation.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I freaking hate Drew.

At first, Annabeth and I were having a great time at the museum. We were just talking about getting something to eat.

Then, BOOM, Drew appears and ruins everything as she always does.

"Annabeth. I'm so sorry." I told her as we were eating. Annabeth had an angry look still. She was half-heartedly nibbling her pizza with olives. However, Annabeth's expression softened as she looked at me.

"Don't apologize Percy. It's not your fault. It was Drew's."

"I know that it's just ... I might have ruined your relationship with Luke permanently." I told her. Obviously, I didn't want Annabeth to date, Luke. But, if they ended up breaking up, Annabeth would have been devastated and heartbroken.

And that was the last thing I wanted to see.

Annabeth put a hand on my shoulder. "Percy, don't say that. You didn't ruin anything! Besides, I feel much better that you're here with me, " she said, which made me smile a bit. "Besides, I'll explain everything to Luke. He'll understand. It's just Drew that I'm pissed about." she said. When Annabeth said her name, she starting gripping her bottle of sparkling water more tightly.

I was also gripping my can of coke tightly. "Ugh, Drew! I freaking hate her! She's always creating gossip and instigating things! That's what she did with Jason and Piper!"

Annabeth nodded her head in agreement. "I really REALLY hate her. However, I have to deal with it. She's on Luke's good side, for now. So I have to put up with her nonsense."

I shook my head. "Honestly, why does Drew always insist on blowing up gossip that's not true. I mean, we were just hanging out! We can't do that?"

"Yeah, and I mean, just because two friends are hanging out with each other doesn't mean that they're going out! It's unfair to come to that judgment." Annabeth quickly responded.

The rest of the time, we ate our pizzas in silence. Eventually, I said bye to Annabeth before I went home. I was supposed to go play basketball with Grover and Jason but I wasn't in the mood. Drew had ruined the day.

 _Honestly, what the hell Drew? I was just hanging out with Annabeth! Because two people had a really good time together doesn't mean that they're dating! Like Annabeth said, it's unfair to come to that conclusion! Right?_

* * *

 **Growing Suspicions**

 _ **(Luke POV)**_

"I saw the two of them together! I swear to the gods!"

"You're just making that up!" I told Drew. We were on the football field. I was trying to get some more practice in before playing against our rivals (even though I didn't need any more to be honest) but Drew had pulled me over to talk about seeing Annabeth and Percy together apparently.

"I swear I'm not making it up! I saw them together at the AMNH. Here I'll show you!" Dretw hen handed me her phone and swiped to the picture of Annabeth and Percy. It was them alright, in the museum. My eyes widened. I felt myself getting angry as I saw the picture.

Drew added,"I literally saw the two holding hands together at the museum!"

"Wait, what were you doing at the museum?" I asked her. Though I was still angry, I couldn't help but laugh. The thought of Drew going to the museum on her own will was pretty hilarious.

She glared at me. "Hey, it was for bio! And second, I have to state this Luke, it's so obvious what's going on! Annabeth and Percy have a thing going on between them! Why the hell do you think she's been ignoring you for the first month of school?"

I wanted to ignore Drew. I needed to focus on my game ahead but she was right. Annabeth was ignoring me, spending more time with her other friends.

Especially this Jackson kid.

"Drew, why do you care about this? Even if something is going on, why do you care?"

"Cause I care for you, Luke. I don't want Annabeth to hurt you." she said, her voice getting soft. Drew was really close to me. Admittedly, I found Drew really attractive. She was looking at me alluringly, rubbing my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

However, suddenly, I saw Annabeth running towards me. Drew then had a big smirk on her face. "Ask her!" she exclaimed as she backed away from me, going towards the cheerleader area.

"Luke!" Annabeth cried out as she ran towards me. She had a frantic look on her face. "I've been trying to find you!"

"Annabeth, is it true?" I said, trying to cut to the chase. I had some anger in my voice. "Were you with Percy earlier today?"

"Luke, I know that the picture that Drew showed you looks bad. But, trust me, nothing was going on! I swear to the gods! Drew is trying to manipulate you!" she exclaimed.

"She said you were holding hands with Percy. HOLDING HANDS for crying out loud!" I exclaimed.

"We did it by accident Luke! I swear! I have a boyfriend anyways, Luke. You!"

"Why did Percy take you to the museum in the first place? Huh? Why?" I demanded. I was starting to lose control of my feelings.

"Luke, I was feeling shitty yesterday! I told you! You need to understand that! Percy felt bad for me as well. He went with me to the museum to help cheer my mood up. That's it!"

"This Percy kid really cares for you huh?" I snarled at her.

"Luke, I already told you many times already, Percy has been my best friend since 7th grade. He cares for me. I care for him! I would have done the same thing." I was feeling angry, especially at the last part when Annabeth said she cared for Percy to. That kind of stung me. Annabeth was only supposed to care about me!

However, Annabeth then grabbed my face and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Nothing's going on Luke. I swear! Percy's just being a good friend for me when I really needed it, that's all!"

I wanted to remain angry. However, I let out a huge sigh. I couldn't stay angry at Annabeth for long. Plus, she was right; the two were really good friends. I couldn't hold that against her or Percy.

"Ok, maybe I over reacted a bit. I'm sorry for that."

Annabeth gave me a smile smile "Alright. That's ok. Good luck out there.", she told me as she headed towards the bleachers. I found myself looking at her, replaying what Annabeth said.

 _Nothing's going on. I swear Luke!_ That kept replaying in my head as I started taking some practice snaps.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I headed to the middle of the bleachers where I found my friends Silena and Hazel sitting there.

"Annabeth!" Silena called out. "Gods are you okay? You told me you had gotten sick yesterday."

"Hey, Silena, how are you! Yeah, I..I was. I'm feeling much better now." I told her as I sat next to Silena. We then talked for the next few minutes, Hazel and Silena making sure that I was alright.

"Um, are you and Luke ok?" Hazel then asked. "Sorry I'm asking but I saw you guys arguing with one another down there. I just wanted to make sure everything was cool between you two."

I nodded my head. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Everything's ok now. It's just a little misunderstanding we had about Percy. That's it."

Silena glanced at me "Really, Percy?" she asked.

"Yeah. Drew had caught the two of us at an inopportune moment. We were hanging out at the AMNH earlier today. And Drew saw us and tried to make a big deal of it. That's all."

"Really, you two went to the museum together?" Silena asked. She had a smile growing on her face.

I reddened. "Silena! It was nothing! Like I said, we were just hanging out. Percy just took me to the museum to help cheer my mood up."

"Was it fun?" Hazel added.

"Yeah, it was. I had a pretty good time with Percy." I admitted.

"Ooo, of course you did! I would too if I went with Charlie! That sounds romantic Annabeth!" Silena chimed in. Hazel then laughed at Silena's joke, all at my expense.

"Silena! For the last time, we were hanging out! THAT'S IT! Why is that so hard to grasp?"

"Did you go for a walk afterwards in Central Park?" Hazel teased, getting in on the _make-fun-of-Annabeth_ bandwagon.

"No! I mean, yes, kind of." I said realizing I needed to be truthful. "We just walked through the park to get to the museum! He got me some ice cream in the middle but THAT'S ALL!"

"Ooo, a romantic walk and ice cream! That's sound so sweet Annabeth!" Silena said, her voice cracking. "My heart is going to break."

I glared at the two of them. "Ugh, you girls are impossible!" I finally said turning away from them as they laughed. I didn't look at Silena and Hazel for the rest of the game, still perturbed at them.

Honestly, why was it so hard to grasp that NOTHING is going on between Percy and I! I mean, just because two people like hanging out with each other doesn't mean they're dating!

Right?

* * *

( _ **Luke POV)**_

We won the football game, of course, against the Romans, like we always did. But the score was closer than it should have, 24-20. We had beaten them last year 50-0.

Further, I had thrown three interceptions in the game. THREE! I NEVER threw a single interception, let alone three. However, my mind was preoccupied with what Drew had told me.

 _Percy and Annabeth_.

Annabeth had said nothing was going on between her and Percy. They were just hanging out together. Plus, Drew did have a knack at times to create some gossip. And I mean, why should I care if my girlfriend is hanging out with one of her friends? Like she said, those two are really good friends, friends since middle school.

They got along really well.

 _Too well, maybe._

Slowly, I was getting weary of this Jackson kid.

* * *

 **That's the end! Some sweet Percabeth moments (I love the ice cream fight they had) as well as the drama.**

 **Also screw Drew. #ScrewDrew.** **Luke is also starting to grow suspicious of the two of them.**

 **Can you say drama. Hmm, yes you can.**

 **Chapter 6 is going to be a Halloween-inspired chapter since its coming up soon. So prepare to get spooked (well, figuratively).**

 **Other than that enjoy your day! And, again, please feel free to leave a review on the story! Reviews are like ambrosia to me man :P.**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	6. Chapter 6: Fears

**Thanks for all the views and reviews! They were all really great and I appreciate them!**

 **I do try to respond to your reviews if I can through PMs. It really means a lot to see readers enjoy this story.**

 **As I've said before, this is a Halloween-special chapter. And there's a little..surprise at the end.**

 **So prepare to get spooked.**

 **Boo.**

 **Sorry that was lame but eh, I tried.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Fears**

 **Nothing**

 _ **(Luke POV)  
**_

"Come on Luke! Are you serious? You're not suspicious at all of what's happening between Annabeth and Percy!" Drew exclaimed as she was pacing up and down, blocking the view of my tv. It was Friday night. I was looking forward to watching the Red Sox game with some of my football buddies at my penthouse in the Upper West Side. It was the Sox's final game before the season ended and the playoffs started. I had invited Drew over, partly so she could help set up some of the snacks beforehand and because Drew was quite eager to help.

Instead of helping, though, Drew had been going on a 10-minute long speech trying to convince me, yet again, Annabeth and Percy had something going on.

After hearing her rant for what felt like forever, I was seriously starting to regret inviting Drew over. _Maybe that's why she came._ _To gossip. Of course!_

I looked up at Drew and shot her a frustrated look. "Hey, Drew, as Annabeth said, they were just hanging out at the museum that day! That's it!"

"That's it? That's it!" she repeated. "I saw them hold hands! Holding hands for crying out loud! You seriously believe Annabeth when she tells you nothing was up?"

"Yeah. I do Drew. I know Annabeth. She wouldn't lie to me. Plus, I've met this Jackson kid. He's alright from what I can tell."

"Yeah, and you know he's single right?" she countered. Drew then stopped pacing around and looked directly at me. "Luke, think about it; a guy as attractive as Percy is still single supposedly! Yet, he's spending most of his time with one girl, Annabeth! Aren't you a tiny bit suspicious!"

"Oh, you like him, don't you. You're into him! That's why you care so much." I muttered while laughing.

Drew glared at me. "No, I'm not! I'm just telling you how I see it. I know some girls who find people of Percy's type attractive. Yet, he still does not have a girlfriend!" I wanted to argue with her but Drew was making a decent point (for once). The fact that Percy was single was pretty hard to wrap your mind around. He was one of the more attractive looking people in the school. He was also the star athlete of the high school swim team.

Yet, somehow, he didn't have a girlfriend.

That was pretty odd.

I stopped myself. _Hey, why do I care about some other dude's love life? It's his own business for crying out loud!_

I took a deep breath before I responded to Drew. "Look, I'll keep an eye on the two of them, okay? Now can you actually help set up the snacks? My friends are almost here."

"Alright. By the way, where is Annabeth? She didn't come?"

"No. She's hanging out with her friends and Percy at the movies." I mentioned. After I said that, Drew raised her hands in the air as if to tell me _hey, you proved my point dummy!_

I moaned again. "Drew! Can you just help me with these freaking snacks!"

"Ugh, okay, okay Luke. I'll help you with the snacks." she groaned, heading to the kitchen to grab the sodas. I looked at Drew for a while and sighed.

 _Nothing is going on Luke_ I heard Annabeth's voice in my head. _Nothing is going on._

Nothing better be going on!

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I hate being at the receiving end of a dating rumor. It absolutely sucks.

Our friends got word that Percy and I had gone together to the American Museum of Natural History. The weeks after, they were relentless in their teasing. Piper decided to text me one night about it, all to my horror.

 _Piper: Hey Annabeth. I heard about the little date you had with Percy ;)_

 _Me: Piper! Who told you that?_

 _Piper: Word gets around quick in our gang. You should know that by now._

 _Me: Ugh! It WASN'T a date! We were just hanging out! How many times do I have to repeat myself?_

 _Piper: Annabeth, repeating it over and over doesn't make it true._

 _Me: But it IS true! We were hanging out!_

 _Piper: Really? A walk through the park? Getting ice cream? You consider that "hanging out"?_

 _Me: Look that's just..coincidental. Okay? Walking through Central Park happened to be the quickest way to the museum. Also, Percy brought ice cream for me because of some incident in the past! That's all._

 _Piper: Oh, Percy bought it for you? I didn't know that part! That's so sweet!  
_

 _Me: PIPER!_

 _Piper: Hope the both of you had fun! :DDD_

I moaned out loud as I put my phone away on top of my drawer and lied down on my bed.

 _Ugh, why can't they all get it through their heads that nothing is going on between us!_

Another day, I was with Hazel at the library after school doing some English homework.

"Hey Annabeth, do you have the notes from earlier this week when I was sick? I could really use them." Hazel asked me.

"Yeah, I do. I took pictures of the notes Miss Kelly wrote on the board so I could share them with you when you came back."

"Thanks, Annabeth, you're awesome!" I took my phone out and started scrolling through my photo gallery to find the picture. However, I had accidentally scrolled a bit further than I wanted to. Photos then flashed on the screen of Percy and me at the museum. Most of them were selfies we took together, making silly faces. In others, we were smiling. I immediately went into panic mode as I realized Hazel noticed the pictures. Her eyes began to widen.

"Whoa, is that..?"

"Uh, it's nothing!" I quickly stammered. I immediately tried to swipe to the photo of the notes. _Where is it? Where is it?_ However Hazel, suddenly, snatched my phone away from me.

"Hey!" I reached out to grab my phone back. However, Hazel had already scrolled through the museum pictures. As she handed me my phone, a smile broke on her face.

"Wow, you guys look so great together!" she commented.

"Hey, we're not together, ok! How many times do I have to remind you that!"

"The silly faces. The smiling…"

"We were ... we were just goofing around that's all!" I stuttered. I felt my face get red.

"Come on Annabeth. You looked really happy in those photos."

"Yeah, I was happy that day but it was NOT because we were, you know, GOING OUT! It was ... I just..I had fun that day, that's all!" I told her. I was messing up my words quite badly. Annabeth Chase never sounded inarticulate! Yet, the whole time, I was remembering back to when we were watching the Space Show, I had rested my head on Percy while he put his arms around me.

Like Hazel said, I did feel happy.

 _Ugh, stop thinking about that Annabeth!_

"You two are perfect together! Percy likes you as well you know."

I turned to her, my eyes widening. "He does?" I asked. A smile was forming on her face when she noticed my interest. I moaned at her. "Ugh, can we just get to our English homework please!" I exclaimed. I was screaming a bit louder than I should in the library. The people around stared at me, startled looks on their faces. Out of all people, Annabeth should have known better than to scream in a library.

I slouched down deeper into my library chair. I tried to refocus on my English homework but my brain was all over the place thinking about what Hazel said.

 _Percy likes you as well._

Does she mean ... no, obviously, Percy likes me as a friend. And I like him to. As a friend of course.

 _But, does he like me more than that? And, do I like him. ... more than that._ I shook my head, trying to clear these thoughts.

 _Ugh, brain!_

As if the teasing couldn't get any worse, at lunch one time, Percy and I were sitting next to each other as usual, enjoying our meals and chatting. I was having another "debate" with him. This time, what's the best burger place in New York?

"Well, I for one am a Five Guys person." Percy declared.

I frowned. "I thought you were a Shake Shack person like I was! Remember when we went there the last time. It was great!"

"Annabeth, they're good. But Five Guys is better. Fact."

"Five Guys maybe better. But Shake Shack is BEST. Best beats better!"

"Ugh." was all he muttered as I smiled, knowing I probably won the argument yet again.

"You know Wise Girl, I'm still traumatized by the whole you-spilling-ketchup-on-me incident when we went to Shake Shack."

I glared at Percy. "Ugh, that was SO long ago. How do you STILL remember that?" grumbling.

"Hey, I'm just telling you partly why I don't like Shake Shack."

"You are SO freaking impossible Seaweed Brain." as I nudged him on the shoulder.

"Hey watch it, Wise Girl!" We then attempted to strangle one another (I don't know why but it's become a habit of ours to do that) However, as soon as our friends came to the table, we stopped immediately. Unfortunately, they had seen our play fight. It was Leo who got the _make-fun-of-Percy-and-Annabeth_ train started.

"Whoa, hold it you guys! We need to give these two lovebirds some space!" he said as he grinned at us.

Percy rolled his eyes at Leo. "Oh, haha very funny dude." Percy groaned as they broke out in laughter. I was trying to hide my facial expression, embarrassment taking over.

"Hey, we're just trying to be nice and respectful, that's all." Grover said patting Percy on the back. Percy then slapped his hand away to Grover's amusement.

"Yeah man, we don't want to come between the two of you for obvious reasons." Jason joked. We glared at him Jason fiercely.

"You know what? We should go eat somewhere else!" Piper proposed. "I mean, we don't want to ruin these two privacy, do we now?" she said grinning. They all nodded in agreement. Our friends started to head to the end of our table. Percy and I continued to glare at them. We were really REALLY annoyed by their antics.

"Give it another few days or so and they'll stop teasing us." I told Percy.

"At this pace, it may be until New Year's till they stop. " he muttered.

I let out a sigh. "Gods, I mean, I don't understand why it's so hard for them to get it! Just because we like hanging out with each other doesn't mean we're dating!"

"Yeah. That museum trip wasn't that romantic anyways. I mean, watching a bunch of insects crawl around. SO romantic." Percy joked.

I gave a small smile and nudged Percy on the shoulder. He then nudged me back. We were about to play fight again when, out of the corner of our eyes, we caught our friends staring at us at the end of the table, grinning. Quickly, we got back to eating our lunches, now in silence.

 _The museum trip wasn't that romantic anyways._ I chuckled to myself. Yeah, reading about how organisms evolved over time.

 _So romantic!_

 _Well, apart from the you-laying-your-head-on-Percy-during-the-Space-Show-moment, not romantic at all!_

Ugh. I really think I might have some seaweed in my brain.

 _Or Seaweed Brain in your head._

* * *

 **Car Radio**

( _ **Percy POV)**_

Did I ever mention I hated Drew? Yeah, yeah I did.

The weeks proceeding my museum trip with Annabeth were pure torture. It's worse enough that your friends are teasing you. It's another thing when they're pushing you to ask her out. Gods, if Drew hadn't shown up, none of this would have happened.

I remember one day Piper coming up to my locker, specifically to push me to ask Annabeth out. "Percy, why aren't you going to ask her out? I know you like Annabeth!" she told me.

"Piper, be quiet!" I hissed, looking around whether anyone else heard it. Thankfully, it was after school and our hallway was pretty empty. "And, you know already, she has a boyfriend! Luke-perfect-as-hell Castellan."

"Percy, if I'm being honest, I believe Annabeth likes spending more time with you than with Luke."

I raised my eye. "You think so?" I asked her. Catching myself, I then added. "Doesn't mean anything though. She still is with him."

"Percy, you two are great for each other! You just need to take the chance and tell her your feelings. The only reason why Jason and I are together was that we both took the chance. When are you going to do the same?"

I sighed loudly. This was the exact same thing Grover told me before at the start of school. "Ugh, I should never have told you guys about my love for Annabeth in the first place!"

Piper put her arms on my shoulder in a comforting way. She looked at me intently. "Percy... you didn't say crush on Annabeth. You said, love."

I felt some pain inside me as I made that slip. "I need to go now Piper," I sighed as I walked away to the exit. I took a little glance at Piper. She had a sympathetic look on her face.

 _Love is the same thing as a crush, right? Is there a difference?_

Thankfully, like Annabeth predicted, our little museum trip became old news after a while. Further, Halloween was coming up soon. And that really helped to lighten my mood up.

I can't tell you how awesome of a holiday Halloween is. When I was younger, Annabeth and I used to go trick-or-treating together each year. I can still recall the first time we went. We were around 12 years old. It was our first-time trick or treating for either of us. The two of us were approaching a stranger's door. As we went up the front steps, Annabeth turned to me, face serious.

"Alright, you know the drill. Say the lines that I gave you word by word and don't mess up!"

I moaned at Annabeth. "Ugh, why do you treat this like it's a school play? It's just trick or treating for crying out loud!"

"Because, Seaweed Brain, this is what I determined to be the very best way to get the most candy. Don't you want more candy?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Then you should shut up, ring the doorbell, and do as I tell you."

I grumbled out loud. "Remind me again why I wanted to trick-or-treat with you?" Annabeth gave a half-grin and rolled her eyes as I rang the doorbell. Annabeth was a wearing an Amelia Earhart costume. I had decided to wear an Aquaman costume.

The door opened. We were greeted by an old lady, probably between her 50s-60s.

"Yes?" she asked looking at the both of us.

"Um, hi sir, I mean ma'am." I started. Next, to me, I could tell Annabeth was sighing, probably regretting letting me talk in the first place.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you. I assume you two kids are trick-or-treating tonight?"

"Yes, and we would like some candy." I blurted out. Annabeth proceeded to kick me in the back of the shin. She had a look on her face that read _you-forgot-your-freaking-lines-Seaweed-Brain!_

Crap.

"Oh, before I ask, did you have a good day today?" I stuttered.

The old lady broke out into a smile. She then answered, chuckling, "The things kids do these days to get more candy. How cute. Here you go young man!" She then proceeded to give me some candy, which included some mini Kit-Kat bars and lollipops. I was pumped.

She then turned to Annabeth. "And what are you supposed to be young lady?"

"I'm dressed up as Amelia Earhart. She's one of my favorite women of all time. She was the first one to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Earhart's a real inspiration."

The old lady smiled at Annabeth. "Aren't you a smart young girl! I love your costume choice!" The old lady proceeded to give Annabeth some candy, along with a little extra more than she had given me. "Enjoy your Halloween night you two!" As the old lady closed the door, I looked at Annabeth, brimming with jealousy.

"Ok, that's SO not fair! How do you get more candy than me?"

"Because I'm so awesome!" Annabeth said grinning and sticking her tongue out at me.

"Okay, I am NEVER going to trick-or-treat with you again Wise Girl." I mumbled as she laughed. Of course, I was kidding. We had a great time that night, even though Annabeth got more candy than me in the end. She was at least kind enough to share some with me, although Annabeth ended up giving me the "bad candy" to her amusement.

Unfortunately, now that we were juniors in high school, we were too old to trick or treat. I was always bummed out by that. I really missed those times.

This Halloween, our friends had all planned to go to Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ for the annual Halloween Fright Fest. From what I read, Fright Fest was one of the coolest events that Six Flags hosted throughout the year. The whole park is transformed into a literal haunted paradise (or hell I should say). People in the park are dressed up as vampires, ghosts, and other creepy creatures. There are also some Halloween specific attractions such as "The Manor", which was a normal haunted house but 100 times scarier.

And, of course, the roller-coasters themselves.

We were all extremely excited, especially Annabeth and I. Overall, I enjoy roller coasters. Of course, that depends on height. Annabeth enjoyed them as well. She had always told me how fascinated she was with the designs of roller coasters.

Unfortunately, Luke and his friends, as well, decided to come with us to Fright Fest, along with Drew (ugh). So that kind of lessened the fun. However, we took separate cars to the place. Luke was driving his car with his buddies while Silena's boyfriend, Charles, drove the other with my friends. Annabeth, thank goodness, decided to ride with us.

The ride to Six Flags was pretty great. We were all joking and laughing throughout. In the middle, Grover had decided to plug his phone into the car radio to play some of his music. Immediately, Annabeth and I frowned at him as he started playing some Lil Wayne.

"Ugh, Grover, why do you like this stuff?" I asked, my face visibly disgusted.

"Hey, this song's awesome." Jason said defensively. "Besides, it's better than the EDM nonsense you and Annabeth listen to."

"Yeah man, this song is not that bad." Charles interjected.

Annabeth suddenly interposed, clearly offended by all their comments. "Hey, Percy's right! I mean, what do you guys like about this type of music? They always just brag about how much money they're making." she stated, which got me to chuckle.

 **(A/N: I'm just joking about rap stereotypes guys and gals. Don't shade on me :))**

Annabeth suddenly snatched the aux cable from Grover's phone and plugged it into her own.

"Hey, what the heck Annabeth?" Grover cried out.

Annabeth grinned. "Let me show you some awesome music for once Grover." She then scrolled through her playlist. My eyes lit up when she pressed play. It was one of our favorite songs: _Zedd-Find You ft Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant_.

 **(A/N: AWESOME SONG. Definitely, listen to it!)**

"Oh man, this song is great!" I told Annabeth. Both Grover and Jason started moaning loudly as Annabeth and I started dancing to the song. "Ugh, I hate hate HATE, you guys!" Grover groaned which made us laugh. Pretty soon, the whole car started dancing.

"This song's pretty great," Piper said as she was moving side to side, all to the discontentment of Jason, who had a gruntled look on his face as his girlfriend was dancing near him.

"Yeah this is awesome," Hazel and Silena chimed in, who were also dancing. Frank, as well, nodded his head. "I don't always like this type of music but this one's alright." he admitted.

Charles grumbled outloud. "Ugh, this whole car has turned into a freaking dance party! Thanks, Percy." he said, glaring at me through the rearview mirror

"Hey, blame Annabeth dude!"

"Hey, can't help if I have good tastes in music." she replied grinning.

"Well, you're right about that Wise Girl," I said as I nudged her on the shoulder. She then nudged me back. We started to try to strangle each other (that's become a habit of ours recently).

"Oh, gods, you two need to get a room!" Grover cried out. The whole car started to laugh as we quickly stopped our fight.

"Oh, haha very funny!" we both quickly said.

 _Gods, Percy, PLEASE don't do anything today to bring up dating suspicions!_

* * *

 **Just a Prank**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

We finally arrived at Six Flags after another half hour drive. For the rest of the ride, we continued to listen to some more of my music, which was pretty much all dance stuff. By the end, Jason, Grover, and Charles all looked like they wanted to jump overboard from the car.

"I am NEVER taking Annabeth and Percy on a ride in my car again." Charles muttered.

Silena smiled, giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheeks. "Charlie's just tired from the long drive you guys, that's it," she replied. Silena then headed towards the entrance of Six Flags with everyone else, leaving me and Percy behind. He looked over and grinned. "Guess we'll have to find another ride home."

"Yeah," I muttered. "Thanks to you."

"Hey, it's not my fault! You're the one who snatched the cord from Grover!"

"You're the one who insisted that his musical tastes were awful!"

"Ugh, you're so annoying, Wise Girl!"

"I would say the same thing to you, Seaweed Brain." Suddenly, we started fighting and strangling each other in the parking lot, again. We were laughing and giggling throughout. However, when we saw Luke get out of his car, Percy and I stopped immediately. Percy took his hands off me and I took a step away from him.

 _Stop losing your cool when you're around Percy Annabeth!_

Luke then came over and gave me a kiss on the lips. I glanced over at Percy afterward. Maybe it was just me but Percy looked uncomfortable as Luke did that.

"Hey Annabeth, how was your ride?"

"Oh, it was pretty fun. We were listening to music the whole time."

"Really? Were you listening to that EDM garbage again?" Luke said chuckling.

I frowned. "Hey! It's not garbage. Better than the rap you listen to! Percy will tell you that,"

Luke glanced over at Percy, who quickly uttered "Um, yeah, it's not that bad Luke."

Luke stared for a while at Percy as they looked at each other awkwardly. It seemed like ever since the museum trip, Luke has been more suspicious of Percy when he was around me. Of course, there was NOTHING to be suspicious about. We just liked hanging out with each other, that's all!

 _I feel like I've repeated that so many times._

"Well, I'm going to head inside with my friends. I'll see you there." Luke said but not before staring at Percy a little while longer.

I turned to Percy. "We should head inside too." I told him.

"Uh, yeah, we should." he tersely answered. Percy then proceeded towards the entrance, not looking back at me.

I then headed the same direction. After the staff had scanned our tickets, I entered. As I looked around, I began to appreciate how well Six Flags had decorated the park to fit the Halloween theme. Places such as the information center and the lost & found area were adorned with cobwebs on them. There were also some carved out Halloween pumpkins strewn across the park. Some eerie, dark music was playing on the loudspeakers. There were also some staff members dressed up as ghosts and vampires greeting the guests (well, they were approaching guests randomly and scaring them, if you considered that a greeting).

It was all really cool.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I heard a voice scream out at me. "Annabeth, watch out! There's a spider on your shoulder!"

I panicked immediately. "S..S..SPIDER!" I yelped. I then looked over at my shoulder. It was a large, hairy, disgusting, spider. I immediately jumped up and yelled in absolute horror. As I screamed, Percy rushed towards me, his face strewn with worry.

"Annabeth, oh gods, are you okay?"

"I...IT'S A..A..SPIDER!" I screamed. I immediately swatted it off my shoulder. Percy came to me, putting his hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down. He then went to the ground to pick up the spider.

"Percy, no don't pick that thing up!" I yelled. However, when he picked up the spider, he squeezed it. An audible squeak came through.

"Annabeth, this is a fake spider." he said flatly.

 _What the heck!_

I heard laughing coming from the back of me. As I turned, I could see where it was coming from. It was the Stoll Brothers, who were laughing hysterically and high fiving each other. I glared at them.

"YOU STUPID STOLL BROTHERS!"

"Happy Halloween Annabeth!" Travis said, face erupting in a grin.

"Hope that spooked you!" Connor added.

"Hey guys, that was NOT cool at all." Percy stated fiercely.

"Ugh, I'm going to kill both of you!" I angrily exclaimed. I then charged them. However, in the middle, Luke got in between me and the Stoll Brothers.

"Luke! What the hell?"

"Hey Annabeth, calm down! It was just a prank!"

"Prank! Prank! I almost had a heart attack! What part of that was a prank?" I screamed.

"Annabeth, you have to admit though, it was pretty funny." Luke mentioned, which got the Stoll Brothers to do some more high fives with one another.

I moaned out loud at Luke. "Ugh, Luke, you always do this! Defend your friends whenever they do something stupid!" I yelled as I walked away from him in the opposite direction, absolutely livid.

"Wait, Annabeth, I didn't mean to…" Luke said. He was about to go after me. However, Drew then stopped Luke at the last second and said, "Just leave her alone for now Luke. She's angry at you obviously." Drew tried to sound sympathetic. However, deep down, I knew she was enjoying all of this.

 _Ugh!_

I went to my other group of friends. My face was fierce. I still felt livid. Percy came up to me again and grabbed my hand.

"Annabeth, goodness, are you feeling okay?" Percy asked.

I let out a sigh of frustration. "First, the stupid prank by the Stolls. Then, of course, Luke has to defend them!"

"Hey, hey calm down. I don't want you to feel bad today. Let's just walk around a bit. Maybe you'll feel better afterwards." Percy then turned towards our friends. "Guys, um, we'll be walking around for a while. We'll catch up with you on the Superman Ride, alright?"

"Um, okay dude," Jason said. I glanced at Silena, Hazel, and Piper. They were probably whispering to themselves, rumoring again about Percy and Annabeth dating. But honestly I didn't care at that point. I felt shitty. I needed to walk around a bit and clear my head.

"Alright, thanks, guys." Percy then grabbed my hand and we started to walk around a bit, not going to any particular place. Percy didn't say anything. He was just silent, occasionally giving me a little grin every now and then for reassurance. Eventually, I did feel better as he said. Having Percy walking alongside me helped to relieve all my negativity. Percy always had that ability to do that.

We then sat at one of the benches in the park. Percy then went over to a nearby stand to buy some popcorn. As he came back, he offered some.

"Want some?"

I smiled. "Thanks." We ate the popcorn in silence. After a while, Percy asked, "So, you feel better now Annabeth?"

"Yeah, yeah I do."

He grinned at me and my smile grew. "I'm glad. I told you walking around will help you feel better. Maybe you should take my advice more often for once." he joked.

"The first part, yes. The second part, not as much." I joked back.

"Thanks, Wise Girl." he muttered as he nudged me. We both chuckled.

After thinking a while, I said. "Maybe Luke's right Percy. I might have overreacted a bit to the Stoll's prank."

Percy's face grew fierce. "Hey, they should've known better! They all know you hate spiders!"

"Yeah, but I mean, it was just a prank after all."

"A really stupid, dumb prank by a bunch of idiots." Percy mumbled which made me laugh.

I continued. "I hate my fear of spiders! It's such a dumb thing to be afraid of! I get paralyzed as soon as I see one! And everyone now sees that! I feel so weak!"

"Hey, it's not a dumb thing to fear about! And you're not weak Annabeth! Everyone has some sort of fear. I'm pretty sure the thing that the Stoll Brothers fear is acting intelligent."

I smiled. "Percy, why do you always know the right things to say when I'm down?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just doing my job." he told me. I responded by nudging him. "Hey! Come on. Let's go on some rides. I have a hunch you won't be feeling too down after a while."

* * *

 **Roller Coaster Rides**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Percy was right. Roller coasters were pretty great at lightening your mood up. Maybe I should take his advice more often.

 _Okay, that's taking it too far but still._

We caught up with our friends waiting on line at the Superman Ride. Thankfully, the line wasn't as long as expected since we had arrived at Six Flags early morning. The ride itself was pretty fun; it was a looping roller coaster, first off. Second, the way it worked was that the ride laid you down on your stomach so you faced the ground the whole time. It gave you the sensation that you were actually flying, which was pretty cool.

Afterwards, we then went on all the other looping roller coasters at the park, in particular, Bizarro and Green Lantern. Bizarro was pretty good. However, Green Lantern was absolute torture ( it was Halloween so I guess that's fitting). The ride was a stand-up rather than a sit-down. That was an interesting concept in theory but in actual practice, it was an absolute pain of a ride. Each inverse and vertical loop that occurred you could feel on your ankles and legs, not to mention your head.

Exiting Green Lantern, my friends and Icollapsed on the ground, just now feeling the effects of motion sickness. Word of advice when going to an amusement park: don't go to three looping roller coasters one after another without a break. Don't.

"Why did I chose to eat before coming here!" Grover moaned. His girlfriend Juniper was beside him holding him the whole time as he sat on the ground. Grover looked pretty sick.

"Whoever thought a stand up looping roller coaster was a good idea is absolutely insane!" Jason muttered.

"Hey, at least we enjoyed the rides unlike a certain friend of ours." Piper said staring at Leo.

"Hey, Pipes, I wasn't scared!" Leo exclaimed. We all knew he was lying. It was pretty well known among our group that Leo was afraid of heights.

"You were closing your eyes each time!" Piper shot back.

"Yeah but I.. I was trying to experience what it would feel like if the ride was in the dark!" Leo quickly said, which made Piper roll her eyes.

I decided to look at the park map as our friends were conversing. I located where the Nitro roller coaster was. Though I was admittedly a little dizzy myself, I was looking forward to going on this ride. From what I read, Nitro was one of the top steel coasters in the world. It was pretty tall, admittedly, at around 230 feet.

I was a little scared. However, it consistently receives good reviews from everyone who rode it. You could NOT go to Six Flags Great Adventure without going on Nitro.

"Hey, anyone up for another roller coaster? Nitro?" A collective groan came from the entire group.

I sighed at them. "Seriously you guys?"

"Annabeth, I think the whole group needs an hour rest or something. Especially Charlie over here." Silena said as she playfully poked at her boyfriend.

He looked at Silena ferociously. Charles looked sick as well. Like Leo, he was not the biggest fan of heights. "Not true. Not true at all Annabeth."

"I guess it's a no for the whole group." I then turned to Percy, who was looking a bit dizzy as well.

"Well, it's just you and me then Seaweed Brain."

"Gods, please, is it a looping roller coaster Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"Nope. Just a typical roller coaster."

Percy had a look of relief on his face. "Ok, thank goodness. Anymore of those and I'm going to be sick. Alright, let me just catch my breath for a bit then we'll go."

I smiled at him. _Just Percy and I_.

This was going to be pretty fun.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Annabeth and I walked towards the area of Nitro, which was in the back of the park. It was probably mid-way that I realized that the two of us were going, like, ALONE. No other friends. Just the two of us.

Admittedly, I was excited.

 _Hey, we're just two friends going! Don't get ahead of yourself!_

Annabeth picked the perfect time to ride as well. When we arrived, there was literally no line, probably a 5 minute or so wait, which went by quickly. Pretty soon, we were able to reach the top of the loading area. As I looked around, I noticed something. The wait line for the front seats wasn't that long. Probably 1 or 2 more rides more.

 _Wow, just our lucky day._

Annabeth noticed the same thing as I did and looked at me. She smiled. "Hey, look at that. Small line for the front seats! You want to go in the front?"

I gave her a sideway glance. I was okay with roller coasters overall.

Front seats. Less okay with.

"You serious Wise Girl?"

"Hey, at the front is where you feel the most G-Forces! Also, there's less wind resistance. You scared?" she asked, giving me a teasing look.

"I'm not scared!"

"Yeah, I think you are." Annabeth continued.

"No, I'm not!"

"S-C-A-R-E-D!" she spelled out to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Ugh, ok fine! I'll go in the front seat with you Wise Girl." I mumbled as she grinned. We then headed to the front and waited for a bit. Pretty soon, we had an empty roller coaster car come through. We hopped aboard. After the staff fastened our restraints, they gave us a thumbs up and smiled.

"Enjoy your ride! Hope you don't get spooked." they yelled. A cheer came from our coaster car as it took off, heading up the vertical lift.

The lift was pretty long itself. A solid minute or so. Which meant that the roller coaster had a slow anticipation factor going for it. _That's great._ It was probably halfway up before I noticed just how steep the coaster was.

"Wow, this is way steeper than it looked on the ground." I commented. Yeah, like I said before, I don't mind roller coasters. Except for the one with extreme heights.

And this one was pretty high from what I can tell.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah, I .. I didn't realize that either," she mentioned. I glanced over at Annabeth. It seemed like she was tensing up a bit.

I grinned. "Ooo, you scared Wise Girl?" I asked her.

"What? No, I'm not! You're scared!" Truthfully, she was right. I was kind of scared. This coaster was WAY bigger than the ones we did before. But I didn't want to say that in front of Annabeth.

Trying to lighten the situation up, I told Annabeth. "You know what. We should try holding our hands up in the air when the drop comes. It'll be more fun when we do that!"

"Percy, are you crazy? That's dangerous!"

"Dangerous? Annabeth, we have these restraints on for a reason!" I said showing her.

"Yeah, so we can clutch onto it! You saw the sign when we entered! Keep your hands inside the roller coaster car at all times!"

"Annabeth, you're such a rules person! No one follows the freaking signs!"

"No, I'm not doing it."

"Annabeth, you forced me into the front seat. I'm going to force you to put your hands up during the ride!"

"Ugh, why did I want to go with you Percy?" she muttered. Annabeth then put her hands up, not before sticking her tongue out at me to my amusement.

We then approached the near top of the coaster. I tried to not look down as best as I could. Yet, it was pretty freaking hard. My heart was beating fast. I was tensing up a bit.

Yeah, I was scared.

"Um, Annabeth, ok I lied a bit. I'm kind of freaked out by this coaster." I admitted to her.

"Haha. I knew it." Annabeth murmured, laughing. But her laugh was half-hearted. Eventually, she broke her calmness as well. "Ok Percy, I lied to. I'm freaked out by this coaster as well."

"You know you don't have to put your hands up in the air if you don't want to." I told her. However, it was too late. We arrived at the edge of the lift. The only thing left was the inevitable drop.

The last thing I heard before plunging down was "PERCY. OH GODS, AHHHHHHH!" Annabeth screamed as our car plunged down at 70+ mph speeds. She still had her hands up in the air during the drop. However, Annabeth instinctively found my hand mid-air and grabbed it, clutching it for dear life.

I probably would have and should have been embarrassed. However, the first drop was so steep and fast I didn't really care. In fact, I was relieved Annabeth was holding onto my hand. I had something to hold onto at least if I was plunging to my death. I felt myself getting lifted from my seat as I was screaming loudly. Annabeth, too, was screaming, continuing to tightly grip my hand.

We continued yelling and cursing as the car raced back up the hill, preparing for another drop. There were about 3 more drops after the first one. I was getting lifted from my seat in each one of them. I glanced at times at Annabeth. Her blond hair was blowing in the wind. Her gray eyes looked even grayer. She had a pretty serious face the entire time. Since we were in the front, like Annabeth said, we felt the effects of the ride even stronger.

 _Have to thank Wise Girl for that!_

I honestly don't remember the rest of the ride. It was such a blur. Thankfully, it ended. However, it was not without either of us panicking for our lives every second of it. Annabeth was still clutching my hand tightly as the car went to an abrupt halt. If I had lost my senses in that hand. I wouldn't have been surprised at all. Annabeth was also breathing heavily.

Coming back to reality, I then noticed we were still holding hands. My face reddened.

"Um, Annabeth. We..you can let go now." I briskly said.

Annabeth then realized the same thing and quickly let go. "Uh, yeah. Um sorry." she stammered. Annabeth then cleared her throat. "The ride was, um, fun right?" she awkwardly asked.

"Uh yeah. It..it was alright." I awkwardly said.

"Um, we can go again if you want. Of course, it's up to you," she proposed.

I looked at Annabeth for a while and thought about it. _Yeah sure, why not? Go ride a ride again that I nearly shit my pants in. Good idea._

However, I was going with Annabeth. She looked sort of eager. I couldn't say no. I couldn't chicken out in front of my crush.

"Um, yeah, okay, I don't mind."

* * *

 **Really Really High**

 **(** _ **Annabeth POV)**_

We rode Nitro about 4 times more. Thankfully, it became more and more fun each consecutive time. I found myself clutching Percy's hand throughout each ride. He was also doing the same. I don't know why but I felt safer when I was clinging on to Percy for dear life. On the fourth and final ride, Percy and I were finally able to enjoy it, having already been used to the coaster. In fact, when the ride came to an end, we were laughing really hard.

"Ok, now THAT felt fun and not terrifying," Percy said.

"Yeah. I can't believe we were so scared initially!"

"Well, I was never scared. You were scared!"

"You're SUCH a bad liar." making Percy grin. As we exited the car, Percy took the chance to take out his phone to snap a picture of me. I frowned at him.

"Hey, what the heck?"

"Ooo, this looks nice," Percy said chuckling. He then showed me the picture. I looked awful. My hair was strewn all over my face. My eyes were in a daze. It looked like I had just seen and fought a million monsters at a time.

"Hey, delete that!" I said. "I look terrible!"

"Oh come on. You don't look bad at all! It's pretty cute. What should I caption this? How about; _Wise Girl's finest moment_." Percy grinned.

I glared at him. "Give me that Seaweed Brain!" as I snatched his phone away.

"Hey, it's my phone!" As we went to the main area outside of Nitro, we were playing tug of war with Percy's phone. However, outside, we saw Luke and Drew approaching us. Percy and I immediately stopped what we were doing.

"Annabeth!" Luke exclaimed, coming up to me.

"Oh Luke, hey! What..what are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ride Nitro with Drew," As he said that, Drew had a little smile forming on her face. I tried my best to ignore it. Luke continued. "Hey, sorry for the Stoll brothers before. They were just playing a prank Annabeth. You have to understand."

"Uh, yeah that's alright. I almost forgot that happened."

He gave a little smile. "You wanna come ride with us? The cars are 4 people each."

"No, that's ok. I, uh, rode with Percy 4 times already.

"Oh really," he asked, Luke's smile dropping. I could hear some wariness creep into his voice. Luke gave a little side-eye to Percy.

"Yeah, uh, none of the others in the group wanted to go. Percy was the only one who wanted to come with me." I quickly added.

"Yeah!" Percy quickly responded, interjecting himself in the conversation "That's because I, uh, I didn't want Annabeth to go alone. So I accompanied her. You always need someone to ride a roller coaster with, right? It's kind of lame if you go yourself."

Luke continued to stare at Percy. Eventually, he let up his somewhat harsh tone. He chuckled a bit. "Um, that's true I guess." Luke turned to me. "So, I'll see you after this ride Annabeth? We're going to ride El Toro afterward. You wanna come?"

"Um, yeah sure." I said. "You want to join us, Percy?"

"No. That's..that's alright. I'm going back to the group to see, uh, what's up with them," Percy briskly declared. "I'll see you later?"

I felt myself getting a bit sad. I really wanted Percy to come. "Oh, um, okay then. I'll..I'll see you later?

"Yeah, see you later." he replied. Percy then left, leaving me alone with Luke and Drew. We stood there awhile, awkward.

"Well, I'll see you after the ride Annabeth." Luke finally voiced, kissing me on the cheek.

"Yeah. I'll..I'll be waiting here" I said. _Alone._ Luke then grabbed Drew and they went on line to wait for Nitro.

I didn't see Percy until a few hours later. As Luke promised, we rode El Toro after they finished Nitro. However, the issue was that we were a 3 person group. And each car only held two each. Luke said that he would ride alongside Drew since he felt weird she would ride alone with a stranger.

 _Don't you think I feel the same way?_

However, I didn't say that to him. Luke apologized over and over and told me that he'll make it up to me later. I forced myself to accept it and smile. I didn't want to look disappointed in front of my boyfriend.

El Toro itself was fun. Actually, terrifying would be the correct word. It was more terrifying than Nitro since it was a wooden roller coaster. That meant you felt all the vibrations and sharp turns, which the coaster had a ton of. I found myself clutching onto the restraint bars throughout the ride. The whole time, in the back mind, I really wished that Percy was there with me. I was remembering back to Nitro how I held his hand each ride, how comfortable it felt. It was a bit embarrassing, truthfully, but I felt safe holding onto Percy's hand.

Eventually, nearing night, the two groups met up near El Toro. Percy then came up to me.

"Hey Wise Girl! How was El Toro?" he asked.

I forced myself to lie. "It was pretty good. Terrifying actually."

Percy smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Wish I, uh, could have been there."

 _Yeah, I really wish that too..._

Charles then interrupted our little conversation. "Alright, gang, we have around an hour left at Six Flags. We can go home now, maybe get something to eat on the way. Of course, that's unless some of you want to ride Kingda Ka." he disclosed, grinning. Kingda Ka was by far the most recognizable roller coaster from Six Flags in NJ. It was for one reason: Kingda Ka was the tallest roller coaster in the world, standing at a staggering 456 feet. From what I read, from taking off, the coaster accelerates from 0-128 mph in around 3 seconds.

 _3 seconds!_ You also felt quite a lot of G-Forces when going up and down the coaster.

That sounded terrifying.

There was silence among the group. No one had enough heart to do it.

"I am DEFINITELY not doing that!" Leo said. "You're crazy if you do!"

"For once, I agree with Leo! Look how tall that thing is. NO FREAKING WAY!" Piper added. Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.

Charles then looked at the Stoll Brothers. "How about you guys? You Stolls like doing crazy things. Kingda Ka is as crazy as it comes."

"Um, no, we're, uh, bummed out from riding all these coasters man." Travis stuttered. I knew he was just making an excuse. He was terrified like the rest of us.

"Yeah man, we're so freaking bummed out." Connor added. "You know, maybe Annabeth should go! She's really brave, I think." Connor joked. There was some snickering, mainly among Luke's friends and Drew.

"Yeah, Annabeth, you should DEFINITELY go and ride it. That could make-up for your fake spider freak out you had earlier in the day." Drew mockingly asserted. There were some more laughs.

Luke interjected. "Hey guys, stop with the teasing! Okay, maybe Annabeth is not brave enough to ride Kingda Ka but who can blame her? Even I'm not that brave ."

I glared at all of them. I felt some pain build up inside me. After that spider freak out, everyone was now looking at me thinking I was weak. I mean Luke was nice enough to say that he wasn't brave himself to ride Kingda Ka but there was still an implication I wasn't brave.

Which sucked.

At that moment, I felt like I was back in middle and elementary school being bullied. All the kids had told me: _you're so weak Annabeth! You can't do anything!_ And, like back then, I wanted to crawl into a corner now and hide.

Percy interjected in to the conversation."Hey, guys! What the hell? Cut it out! Annabeth is really brave! I know she can do it! Just give her some time to ease up to it!"

I gave Percy a small smile. In middle school during lunch, Nancy Bobofit had attempted to bully me. However, Percy had stood up to her, just for me. I'm forever grateful to him for doing that.

"You..you know what." Percy stated. "Annabeth, I'll go with you. Let's ride Kingda Ka together!"

 _Wait, what?_

I then looked at Percy, shocked. "Percy, what are you.."

"Annabeth, I know you can do this. We rode Nitro together! And that was really tall! Remember how scared you were? You got over it!"

"Percy, that's different! This is double that! 456 feet! I can't even get over my fear of freaking spiders! How can I ride that?"

"Annabeth, just believe in yourself."

"I..I don't believe in myself!" I stuttered. I had more flashbacks to younger where I kept telling myself I couldn't do anything.

"Annabeth, I believe in you! You can get over your fears, trust me." Percy then got really close to me, softly grabbing my hands. Everyone around us was staring, noticing what was occurring. But Percy didn't care. He continued.

"Annabeth, just trust me okay? I'm going to be with you. I'll be with you the whole time. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Though I was scared, the way Percy said that comforted me. _I'm not going anywhere._ It was similar to what he said during the last day of middle school.

 _As long as we're together._

Maybe I was scared of this roller coaster. But if there was anyone who gave me confidence and helped me forget my fears, it was Percy.

Eventually, I said. "Ok. I'll go with you Percy." He smiled. We then headed towards the area of Kingda Ka. Drew let out a big scoff before we left.

"Of course she goes with Percy!"

Percy glared at Drew "At least she has the guts to do it unlike YOU." Drew then turned to Luke. She had a look on her face that said _see-these-two-have-something-going-on!_

Luke didn't say anything. He was silent the whole time, still taking everything in. Percy and I then headed inside to the waiting line for Kingda Ka.

I took a deep breath. The line was pretty long, maybe about 30-45 minutes. That meant if I decided to chicken out at any time, I had plenty of time to do it.

However, I remembered what Percy told me.

 _I'm not going anywhere. I promise_

I felt myself growing confident.

I could do this.

* * *

 **Stunned**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Truthfully, I was freaked out about Kingda Ka.

I mean 456 feet is no joke at all. The tallest coaster I'd been on was 230 feet and that was TODAY.

But Kingda Ka? Oh man...

However, I had already made a promise with Annabeth. And I didn't want to break it. Plus, if anyone gave me the confidence to do this coaster, it was Annabeth.

Probably the worse part of the ride was not the ride itself but waiting on line. And let me tell you; fear and anticipation do weird things to your brain. Funny enough, while waiting, it was Annabeth who kept reassuring and comforting me. She was squeezing my hand and giving me smiles every now and then.

 _Man I wanted to be the one comforting her but she's the one comforting me!_

Eventually, the both of us got to the loading station. I felt my heart beat faster as we kept nearing and nearing the coaster track. In the middle, I managed to make a small joke to lighten things up.

"Front seat?"

Annabeth smiled. "Not this time Seaweed Brain." I smiled back at her.

 _Crap, any seat would do! We're riding the tallest roller coaster in the world for crying out loud!_

Eventually, an empty coaster car came. It was our turn. We ended up settling for a seat in the middle front of the car. They then fastened our restraints on.

"Um, Percy." Annabeth turned towards me, a hesitant look on her face. "Do..do you mind if I hold your hand during the ride? I..I want to hold on to something comforting, that's all."

I smiled at her. "Yeah, I don't mind at all." In fact, I wanted to hold Annabeth's hand during the ride.

She smiled. "Thanks Seaweed Brain." as she laced her hand into mine. We then waited. We saw the car in front of us take off. It looked like they were going 100+ mph uphill.

 _Crap, that's fast._

Eventually, we moved into position in front of the signals. The signal was currently red. I felt Annabeth gripping my hand. She squeezed it. I then squeezed it back.

 _Annabeth is with me. We can do this._

 _I can do this._

The announcement came on. "Arms down. Heads back. Hold on!" Eventually, it turned green. We took off.

Yeah, I can tell you, 128 mph is fast. I felt that my face was peeling off as we rushed up the track. The whole time I wanted to panic. My brain was going _oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! This is really fast and high. Not cool!_ However, as I looked over at Annabeth, feeling the reassuring grip of her hands, I remembered that she was still here with me. Annabeth wasn't going anywhere.

I felt reassured.

When we were at the top, we had a solid few seconds to take in our surroundings. I dared myself to look down. The people all looked like little ants. El Toro right beside us looked tiny. I swear I could've seen Philly from up here.

I managed to say. "Ok, this is REALLY high." before the drop.

All I could hear was a little chuckle from Annabeth. "Yeah, no kidding Seaweed Brain!"

I laughed out loud. _We're about to plunge down at 100+ mph and she still manages to scoff at my jokes? No wonder I love this girl._

Then the drop happened. There was a little loop before the drop came. We then rushed down. We screamed out loud. Eventually, after another little hill, we came to a stop.

The ride was over.

 _Wait, that's it?_

I blinked again, making sure I didn't miss anything. Yeah, that was it! Only a minute, not even.

That wasn't bad at all!

"Oh my gods, we did it Percy! We did it!" Annabeth screamed, pumping her fists in the air.

"Yeah, we did it!" I said, screaming in joy as well. We high fived each other. The both of us exited the coaster area. While walking, Annabeth and I couldn't stop smiling. We were super pumped!

"Oh my gods, we actually did it! We did it! I thought Nitro was bad. This was a piece of cake!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Yeah, I didn't think I would say the tallest rollercoaster in the world was a piece of cake but it was!" I said. Annabeth chuckled and punched me in the shoulder. For once, I wasn't hurt by it.

We then made way near the front of the exit. Annabeth suddenly stopped and tackled me in a bear hug.

"Hey!" I managed as she was laughing. "What was that for?"

"I'm just so happy right now! Not just for this. For everything this past month. You coming over to my house to see if I was okay. Comforting me about my dad. Letting me sleep over at your house. Going to the museum with me. Continuing to be my best friend. I..I can't thank you enough Percy." Annabeth said. I looked at Annabeth; she was crying a bit.

"Hey don't cry Annabeth! Again, you don't need to thank me. Like I said, I care for you. I really REALLY mean that! I love spending time with you."

Annabeth gave me a wide smile. It was so cute, beautiful even. I mean her smile was always amazing but especially now, it was radiant. "I care for you too Seaweed Brain. I love spending time with you as well."

We hugged for a little while longer. Eventually, we broke off the hug. Annabeth and I continued smiling widely at each other. For a while, we stared at one another.

What Annabeth did next stunned me.

Annabeth came close to me and proceeded to kiss me on the lips.

 _Wait what?_

I stood there, stunned. I had not expected that, AT ALL. I also began to feel and take in Annabeth's lips. They were super soft and warm. I had always imagined at times what it would be like to kiss her (hey, don't judge!).

Yet, kissing her in real life? It was even better than I imagined.

I didn't know whether to kiss Annabeth back or just stand there like an idiot if I wasn't already doing that. I ended up standing there, taking Annabeth's kiss, still in an absolute daze,

 _Oh gods, I really REALLY liked this kiss with Annabeth..._

After a while, Annabeth realized what she was doing. She immediately broke off the kiss. She had just as stunned a look on her face as I did.

"Oh..oh my gods Percy!" she exclaimed, her face red, absolutely embarrassed. Her gray eyes were in an absolute daze. They looked like they were running at a million miles per hour. "I..I didn't mean to..I was trying to..I was just so caught in the moment! I..I don't know what got over me, Percy! I'm..I'm so sorry!" she quickly said. Annabeth looked guilty, confused. She didn't meet my eyes.

I was about to respond to her but what was I supposed to say? The girl I loved had kissed me, on the lips! I was flabbergasted. I was shellshocked. I was..use any other big word to describe really really stunned.

All of a sudden, Luke came over to us. He had an angry look on his face. He was accompanied by Drew, who was smiling as well.

"I should have known! I should have known all along!" Luke exclaimed.

We then looked at Luke, both scared. _Oh gods, he didn't see us kiss, did he? Please no!_

"You know, Drew was right! First not sitting at my lunch table! Then, the museum trip! Riding Nitro! Finally, riding Kingda Ka, together! I can't believe it Annabeth!". There was a part of me that was relieved. It seemed that, from what I could tell, Luke DIDN'T see the two of us just kiss.

However, he still had a fierce look on his face, looking at me with ferocious intensity.

Drew added to the conversation. "What I told you, Lukey? I told you something was up!"

Annabeth was still in a state of shock. However, seeing Luke angry finally brought her back to reality. She then stated, though in a low voice. "Luke, w..what are you talking about?"

"There's something going on between the two of you! I know it!"

"Luke, I told you so many times already. There's..there's nothing going on between Percy and I." she said. However, Annabeth hesitated at the last part. No one noticed it but Annabeth, like I, was probably still thinking about our kiss. She still didn't meet my eyes.

"Annabeth, stop lying! I know something's going on!" Our other friends then came over. Silena suddenly said out loud.

"Luke, Annabeth is right! Nothing is going on between the two of them! I know that for sure!" Silena continued. Her face looked extremely worried, feeling as if something bad was going to happen.

"Yeah, Luke! They're just hanging out, that's it!" Piper added.

"Yeah man." his buddy Charles then said. He put his arm on Luke's shoulder. "You need to chill out! You always assume that every girl you date is doing something behind your back! You need to stop that! This is Annabeth!"

I finally interjected after a long moment of hesitation. Even though I didn't want to say something, if I didn't act immediately, I would've gotten pulverized.

"Luke, they're right". It pained me what I was about to say next. I STILL had that kiss on my mind. But I needed to say it. "I went with Annabeth on Kingda Ka because I knew she could do it. I know Annabeth is brave. She just needed a confidence booster. That's it. That's why I went with her. To give Annabeth that boost. I don't want to get in between you and her man. I'm sorry if you misinterpreted things."

Luke looked pretty angry still.. However, he softened a bit as he slowly processed my words. He then looked at Annabeth.

"Annabeth, is that true? What Percy said?" he asked her.

Annabeth, still, wouldn't meet my eyes. I wouldn't, either. The whole group, however, was looking at Annabeth intently. Eventually, after what felt like foreve, Annabeth finally said. "Yes, yes it is Luke," she stated. Luke let out a huge exhale. His face expression softened. Luke then turned to me, the intensity in his eyes gone.

"Hey man, sorry for getting all psycho on you about my girlfriend. Hope you can forgive me. We're, uh, cool now?" he started, extending his hand awkwardly.

"Yeah, that's alright man. We're cool." I awkwardly replied. We shook hands.

"Ok then. I .. I guess we should be going now. Annabeth, if you want to ride with your other friends, I'm okay with that. I'm not going to be suspicious anymore." he joked. There were some laughs from the group, except for Drew, who looked absolutely sick.

Annabeth gave a weak laugh. "No, that's okay. I'll ride with you guys this time." she said. I was relieved. I didn't know how I could sit next to Annabeth after what happened. We then said bye to one another.I didn't say bye to Annabeth. I couldn't. I was still so shocked, confused by what happened.

On the car ride home, the mood was pretty light. Apart from my friends coming to me, asking me if I was okay after the Luke fiasco (which I lied and said yes) the whole ride was pretty fun. Grover even decided to play some EDM music just for me, which made me smile.

However, my mind was all over the place, still confused, lost. First, the kiss.

 _The kiss._

What did it mean? Did that mean Annabeth returned my feelings? Did she view me more than just a friend?

 _Did she love me?_

No, but Annabeth said it was an accident! She said she was caught up in the moment. She was overwhelmed by how great of a friend I've been the past few months, that's all!

But was that just an excuse! It had to be. How do you get so caught in the moment that you kiss someone, on the lips, even if it was a good friend?

My mind kept going back and forth until I had to stop. Ugh. My head was throbbing.

Also, Luke getting angry at me absolutely scared me. Though he forgave me and said we were cool, I saw the intensity in his eyes. It was the same one that he had during football games. And, he absolutely dominated in that arena. I had to watch my back.

Also, Annabeth had to watch her back.

 _Ugh, Annabeth._ I didn't even know if I could see her now anymore without always thinking about that kiss. I mean, we were still friends? Right?

Was that ruined as well?

I didn't want to think about it.

Gods, my brain felt like absolute seaweed.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

What did I just do?

First, I was scared beyond my mind of going on Kingda Ka. Next, Percy had volunteered to go with me. Finally, I was excited at the end of the ride, being able to conquer my fears. I was telling Percy how grateful I was for having an awesome friend like him to past months.

I felt so happy.

Then, for some reason, I kissed Percy, on the lips.

Not the cheeks. _The lips!_

I don't know what got over me. I really don't know! I just felt so happy. Europhoric. I felt so overwhelmed with emotion as I recounted how much Percy had meant to me over the past month. I.. I felt like something took over me that lead me to kiss him.

 _The question, what part of you was that?_

The worst part, I enjoyed the kiss as well. Percy's lips were super soft, a little salty as well, which I liked. I apologized immediately, breaking off the kiss. Percy was looking at me the whole time, stunned. We had refused to look at each other afterward.

I started to remember what I told Hazel and Piper when they kept pushing Percy/Annabeth dating rumors after our museum trip.

 _We were just hanging out! That's all!_

Now, I was just like them. I didn't believe it myself.

 _But it was true! We were hanging out! That's it!_

Yeah, but he brought me ice cream and we shared it! I laid on him during the movie. Even before that, when I slept over at his house, I had given him a kiss on the cheek before sleeping.

And I had enjoyed all of it.

 _But that was just a friend to friend thing! That's it. I was doing that to say I care for him!  
_

But was it? Was it a friend to friend thing? Also, what did it mean when I said I cared for him? _As a friend? More than that?_

Ugh. I didn't even know. I didn't even know anymore! I was so lost. Even more so, there was one simple question I couldn't answer.

 _Did I..did I love Percy?_

Honestly, I didn't even know if I was ready to tackle that. Even worse, I didn't know the answer.

 _My boyfriend was Luke. He was my boyfriend. I love Luke!_

Piper's text message appeared in my head: _repeating it over and over doesn't it make it true._

UGH! For once, I wished I wasn't so smart and my brain stopped thinking too much. Even then, I didn't know whether it was my brain or feelings speaking to me.

* * *

 **That kiss. Wow. A** **lbeit intentional/not intentional. Does this mean she has feelings for Percy? Is Annabeth finally going to break up with Luke? Is Percy finally going to gain the courage to ask her out?**

 **Will they finally admit their feelings to each other?**

 **Whoa slow down there. SO many questions.**

 **Again, hope you enjoyed the chapter! As usual, favs,** **follows, and reviews are appreciated!**

 **Anyways, I have a great day as usual!**

 **PS: Though I've been to Six Flags, I haven't been to Fright Fest. So all descriptions I give are purely based on pictures I've seen or fantasy.**


	7. Chapter 7: Dress

**Here is Chapter 7, the "aftermath" if you will. Admittedly, kind of hard to write. There are so many complex emotions that Annabeth and Percy go through. They begin to express deeper feelings for one another, though you'll see the extent of them ;).**

 **So hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Dress**

 **Confused**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _What is love? Baby don't hurt me! Don't hurt me. No more!_ Haddaway's single _What is Love_ was blasting on Samantha's radio Sunday morning as she was in the kitchen washing up some dishes. I usually like the song but at the moment, it did NOT at all suit my mood or the current situation.

 _Not great timing 102.7! Not great timing at all!_

"Ugh!" I groaned out loud. I might have groaned a bit louder than I realized as Samantha stopped to look over at me, concern on her face.

"Annabeth, is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, um nothing. It's just..the song. I've.. I've heard it so many times already on the radio! It's getting annoying." I lied.

Samantha looked at me skeptically. "Overplayed? First time I've heard this song in quite a while actually."

"Yeah, it's just..other radio stations are overplaying the song. I'm..I'm getting sick of it". I told her.

 _T_ _he song or the actual lyrics?_

"Kids have such bad tastes in music these days," she muttered to herself. Samantha then switched the radio to some other channel playing the latest Billboard 100 hit. I tried to refocus my attention back to my pancakes; they were actually delicious. However, I couldn't. My mind was still occupied with one thing and one thing only.

 _That kiss._

Thankfully, it was Sunday; I had a full day off to both clear my head and avoid Percy. Frankly, I didn't want to see him; I..I didn't know what to say to him. This was probably the first time ever I WASN'T eager to see Percy in school.

Thinking back, everything yesterday happened so quickly. I remember getting off of Kingda Ka feeling such jubilation. I was high fiving Percy, laughing and giggling. I mean, I had just conquered the tallest roller coaster on the planet! Nobody else, the stupid Stoll brothers or Luke even, wanted to ride it!

Then, on the way out, I stopped to hug him. I began getting emotional, thinking not only about the ride but about the museum trip, Percy coming over to my house when I had issues with my dad, everything. He told me he did all that because he cared for me and liked spending time with me. I was tearing up; his words were so genuine and touching. I told him that I felt the same.

 _And then..I..I kissed him, on the lips!_

Gods, how could I have been so freaking stupid! I didn't know what had gotten over me to do such a reckless thing! I mean, I always felt that when I was around Percy, I acted unlike myself.

 _But kissing him on the lips?_ What was I doing! Ugh! I had completely lost my calmness! I..I still don't know why I did it. I had told him it was due to the "moment". That was partly true. All the emotions I was feeling, from excitement to happiness; I felt overwhelmed. But, most of all, I was feeling grateful, grateful to have Percy alongside me not only the past month but throughout my life as well. And, well I..I guess, through these tangle of feelings and emotions, something inside me made me kiss Percy. It felt weird to say but kissing Percy on the lips in that situation FELT like the thing to do.

But it wasn't! It wasn't! I wasn't dating him! I..I wasn't in love with him or anything, right?

Okay, that..that part isn't entirely truthful. I mean it isn't true, AT ALL. I'm not in love with Percy, OK! I mean, I used to sort of...

UGH, I guess I should just spit it out.

 _Can't keep it a secret any longer anyway._

When I was younger, I sort of had a crush on Percy.

It's true. I..I don't know..it was just, Percy was the first boy to ever actually show that he cared about me throughout my life. He was also really sweet and kind, wanting to spend most his time with me even if he didn't have to. I looked up to Percy whenever I had an issue. And I still do.

 _He was also the first boy to call me pretty_.

However, that was just a friend-to-friend comment to boost my spirits when Nancy Bobofit had bullied me in lunch.

Still, I liked the comment and I remember getting giddy and giggling over it. It was those little sweet things he did that made me like Percy and partly have a crush on him.

However, like I said, it was just a silly, middle school crush, that's it! I was young back then and naive. Percy was my first friend who was a boy so naturally, I would have a crush on him, right?

But, it was nothing serious! Plus, we were friends back then and still are friends, that's it. I completely moved past the crush. I then met Luke during sophomore year. Luke was a sweet person. And I like Luke! I'm happy with Luke!

 _Are you sure about that Annabeth? Are you? Maybe the reason you kissed Percy was that parts of you might still have feelings for him_.

Stop it, brain, stop!

I then shoved my pancakes aside, head throbbing, my appetite spoiled. Heading towards the couch, I then sat down and took my phone out and opened my photo gallery. I began scrolling through, yet again, the photos I took with Percy at the museum (I had been doing that the whole night). The photos looked so different after our kiss. I kept replaying what Hazel had said to me when she snatched my phone while studying at the library.

 _You guys look so great together._

I had been embarrassed by the comment and quickly denied it.

However, studying the photos over and over again, she was right; we did look great together. _Percy looked great. The way_ _his jet black hair swept to one side in such a nice way. Or his sea green eyes sparkled in each photo. Or how endearing his smile is..._

I then slammed the phone down on my couch, realizing what I was doing. _Annabeth, Percy is your friend! You're NOT gawking at your friend! You do NOT have a crush on him._

Ugh (I felt like I've said that many times already this weekend), you know what the worse part of all this is (besides basically everything)? I didn't know at all my status with Percy. At the very least, we were still friends..right? Yet, even I couldn't say definitively; it was possible our friendship was forever ruined after what I did.

I shuddered as I thought about that. I could probably live with the awkwardness between the two of us. The teasing, kind of.

 _But I couldn't lose Percy. I just couldn't._

And that might happen. _All because of what I did._

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

 _Annabeth kissed me. Annabeth freaking Chase kissed me._

That was all I was thinking about as I laid on my bed Sunday morning. I didn't sleep at all the whole night; the entire time, I kept replaying the events over and over in my head of what happened yesterday. After we got off Kingda Ka, we were high fiving, laughing, and giggling. I was feeling so pumped like h _ah, tallest coaster in the world? No biggie! I just rode it and didn't flinch at all!_

Well, to be fair, I semi-flinched but still.

Afterward, near the exit, Annabeth then stopped to tackle me in a bear hug. She told me, yet again, how thankful she was for all that I did for her. She had been really emotional, crying. I tried comforting and told her she didn't need to thank me at all; I cared for her and enjoyed spending time with her. She then broke out into a big smile and hugged me again, saying to me that she cared for me too and liked spending time with me.

 _And then she kissed me._

I can still remember how she looked beforehand; Annabeth looked so happy. Her smile was so radiant and full if life. It was honestly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Her face, gods, was angelic, almost shining. She honestly looked like a freaking Greek goddess to me. I shook my head as these thoughts flooded through my brain.

 _Gods, I seriously need to stop thinking about Annabeth this way!_ Yet, I knew I couldn't; _I was in love with this girl._

 _After the kiss, even more._

I sighed out loud. The worst part of all this? Even after thinking about it over and over, I STILL didn't know what the kiss meant. After she kissed me, Annabeth had a shocked look on her face and quickly apologized. She told me that she did it by accident, that she got carried away by the moment. I believed her, sort of. But it didn't take away the fact that she kissed me.

I will never, ever forget that.

I liked the kiss, obviously. But I didn't like the kiss at the same time. Not knowing what it meant just made me confused. Did it mean she liked me and had feelings for me? _No, no, she's just my friend. That's all she sees me as! She doesn't return my feelings to her. Especially considering how deep they are._

I groaned a bit as I thought about the word "feelings". Before we kissed, I couldn't muster up the courage to tell how I feel about her. Now, after the kiss, it was virtually impossible. Sighing again, I took my phone from my side drawer and opened up my photos. I scrolled through, yet again, the pictures we took at the AMNH. I also looked through at the photos of Annabeth that I took after we rode Nitro roller coaster (she had been so pissed at that).

Gods, after the kiss, in each photo, Annabeth looked even more beautiful than before. I honestly don't know if I could look at her anymore without remembering the kiss. Thank goodness today was a Sunday and I had time to clear my head; I didn't have to see Annabeth until Monday. Frankly, I didn't want to yet.

 _This was the first time ever I WASN'T eager to see Annabeth._

Just then, my phone went off. I grabbed it from my nearby drawer and picked it up; it was a text from Grover.

 _Grover: Hey Percy, up for some basketball? West 4th Street Court?_

Honestly, I was really tired at that point, both physically and emotionally. However, I couldn't just stay inside; the only thing I would do is continue to think about Annabeth.

I texted him back. _Uh, sure dude. 1 pm sound good?_

 _Grover: Awesome man. See you there. Ugh, just hope I still don't feel dizzy from all those roller coaster rides yesterday._

I chuckled as I read the message. Hopefully, some 1 on 1 basketball with Grover could help me forget about Annabeth.

 _Or maybe I'm just fooling myself, as usual, about Wise Girl._

* * *

 **Monday Morning Headaches**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I wished avoiding a friend because I accidentally did something I shouldn't have done counted as a valid excuse to not come to school.

Unfortunately, it didn't. Plus, that Monday, I had a science test coming up that I could not miss. _Ugh, for once, I wish I didn't have school today!_ Getting up from the bed, I then went to my drawer to pick out the clothes that I would wear. However, I quickly realized there was a problem. I had no clean outfits left. I cursed to myself. S _hoot, I didn't do my laundry yesterday like I should've._ I rummaged around, hoping that a shirt would magically appear but nothing. I then went to my closet to find anything. However, there was nothing but coats and jackets. The only thing that I managed to find was a light green sleeveless dress, the one I usually wear on formal occasions and dates.

 _Oh, gods, I couldn't wear this! Just..no!_

I rummaged around a bit more, desperately looking for anything to wear other than the dress. I would have honestly worn a swimsuit to school if the weather outside was a little a bit better but I couldn't.

 _Ugh, I guess I HAVE to wear this. This is probably what I get for not doing my laundry like I should've._

I laid my dress on my bed and headed into the shower. After showering, I grabbed my hair dryer to dry my hair and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. Now, I didn't look bad at all, especially considering it was an early Monday morning school day. However, I was about to wear a nice dress; unfortunately; my hair, currently, did not meet the "nice dress" standards.

 _Oh, what the heck, if I'm going to wear a stupid dress I might as well do my hair and makeup._ I then grabbed my hair curler and curled my hair into a bunch of little ringlets around my face. I also used some makeup, not too much, just some face powder on my cheeks and a little red lipstick. I also put on some strawberry scented perfume on that I got from Bath and Body Works.

After fastening up the dress, I looked myself in my closet mirror. _My goodness, what the heck am I looking at?_ The dress covered up until above the knees so my legs were showing off. The dress was a little tight on me which helped too, unfortunately, show off every curve of my waist and body. My hair was falling freely around my shoulders.

 _I'm going to school, not freaking modeling!_

Today, I had not wanted to attract too much attention; this dress DEFINITELY did not help that cause.

I then walked outside to the kitchen, hoping Samantha wouldn't notice what I was wearing. She was already outside, having already poured me a glass of orange juice. She was sitting down, coffee in her hand, continuing to read one of her John Grisham novels. I tried to sneakily grab my orange juice and go to the couch to drink it, praying she wouldn't notice me. However, Samantha just happened to look up just as I was about to take my juice.

I cursed to myself. Her eyes then started widening, looking at me in puzzlement and awe.

"Annabeth, why..why are you wearing a dress today? Especially that one?"

"Um..I.I forgot to do my laundry yesterday. This was the only thing I could find," I stuttered.

"Yeah? Also, nice job with the makeup."

"Um. thanks. I..uh, I mean, if I'm already wearing a dress, I thought, you know, why not go for the whole look?" I told her, giving a sheepish grin. I then frowned "Why, you..you don't like it?"

"Don't like it? Annabeth, my goodness, what are you talking about. You look so gorgeous!" she told me grinning. I blushed at her comment.

"Oh, you're being too nice Samantha," I shyly said. I didn't look THAT gorgeous, did I?

"Too nice? Annabeth, you look like a little angel!" she said, starting to tear up a bit. "Honestly, you have to be careful of all the boys today at school. They'll be all over you. And honestly, who wouldn't be when you're wearing that!"

"Oh Samantha, stop it!" I moaned out loud, reddening more. I did not like AT ALL the attention my dress was giving me. I've never been a person who was into how I looked. Samantha chuckled to herself as I started to quickly pour myself a bowl of Frosted Flakes, trying to forget what happened. Thankfully, the rest of breakfast was pretty normal, Samantha and I eating while engaging in small conversation.

"Oh Annabeth, I should ask, how was your visit to Six Flags over the weekend? Was it fun?" Samantha then asked in the middle of our conversation.

I winced a bit as she said that; the last thing I wanted to think about this morning was the Six Flags trip. I would rather talk about my dress again then Six Flags. However, I had to force a smile and play it cool. "Yeah, uh, it was fun. I went on most of the rides with my friends. And, of course, I went to some of the Fright Fest-specific attractions. They were pretty scary, as expected," I told her.

"That's great. I bet you weren't brave enough to ride Kingda Ka, huh?" she teased.

I gave a half-smile."No, I actually did. I..I went with Percy," I responded. My voice trailed off a bit when I said his name.

 _Just when I was about to forget Percy I'm reminded of him._

She whistled at me, clearly impressed. "Wow, you did? My goodness! Even if you gave me a million dollars I wouldn't DARE go on that thing! And Percy came with you? That's awfully nice of him to do that." she commented.

"Yeah, it was just..he wanted to keep me company for the ride, that's all. No one else in our group had the guts to do it so he joined me," I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.

Samantha smiled as I said that. "Aww, how sweet of him! You know Annabeth, I always liked that kid." she said. I seriously wanted to stop with all this Percy talk. _Hello, I'm wearing a dress! Let's talk about the dress again!_ However, I had to grudgingly agree with her. She was right; Percy was really sweet. And caring.

 _And kind of cute._

Annabeth...

"Um, I should go now. I need to go to the library first to get a pass for lunch," I then told Samantha getting up from the table.

"Annabeth, you didn't finish your breakfast yet! Why don't you sit down and eat first?" she told me as she pointed to my half-finished bowl of cereal.

"I want to make sure I get that pass. I have a science exam today and I wanted to study some more." That part was true.

 _Also putting an end to this Percy talk would be an added bonus._

Samantha sighed and shrugged her shoulders."Alright, then Annabeth. I guess I'll see you this afternoon. Good luck on the test! " As I was about to leave, Samantha then sneakily took out her phone and snapped a picture of me. I looked at her in horror.

"Hey, I just wanted to cherish this memory of Annabeth wearing a dress! It's rare that you ever will wear one again."

"Samantha!" I moaned out loud. She then giggled and waved goodbye. Grabbing my backpack and putting on a sweater, I then headed out the door, eager to clear my head of all things Percy and the dress. The weather was a little chilly today, around 50 degrees and partly cloudy. However, I decided to walk to school today across the Brooklyn Bridge. It's one of my favorite places in all of New York City. I had so many fond memories while on the bridge.

 _Especially with Percy._

I didn't want to but I began to have a memory flashback. During our last day of middle school, Percy had decided to walk with me to my apartment. We had been discussing the daunting prospect that was high school; I remember telling him just how freaked out I was of such a big change in my life.

 _"And now, we're entering high school! A new place! New teachers. New people. I.. I'm worried and scared Percy"_ I had told him.

 _"Hey, the point is we're going to be together. As long as we're together, everything will be okay," Percy replied to me. "Just know this, we're still going to remain friends. No matter what, I'm not leaving you anytime soon."_

I was touching our friendship necklace the entire time as I was having these flashbacks. I began to repeat those words Percy said to me.

 _As long as we're together._ _We're still going to remain friends._

I still hoped, after everything that happened, that was still the case. That we were still friends. And together.

Thank goodness I didn't have to see Percy until creative writing class.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

As usual, I met up with Grover at our nearby train stop to head to school together. As I approached him, I called out his name.

"Oh, hey man," he said in a subdued voice. However, he wouldn't meet my eyes. He had an almost pissed off look on his face. I then grinned at him. I knew why; yesterday, I had absolutely DESTROYED Grover on the basketball court 15-4! Just absolutely laid the smackdown on him. He had, of course, blamed the fact that he was still burned out by the Six Flags trip. I then pointed out to him that maybe, just maybe, he sucked at basketball.

That comment really got under Grover's skin.

"Hey, dude. What's with the sad face?" I told him, trying to rub it in his face some more. "Feeling balled out?

"Ba-ha-ha! Shut up Percy," he bluntly told me which got me to crack up. "Let's just go inside. And DO NOT talk about that game yesterday," We then headed inside and hopped aboard the F Train. On the train, I continued to torture Grover by impersonating some 3 point shots with my hands in front of him. He let out a frustrated sigh. "You seriously going to keep rubbing it in my face?"

"Just for a little longer man. You lost the game. So I have the bragging rights."

"Come on man! Let up! I already have Juniper teasing me for it. I don't need you to add on to that,"

"Hey, you were the one who talked smack the entire time before the game. Consider this appropriate payback." I pointed out.

"Yeah but that was just…" Grover started. However, realizing he had no counterpoint, Grover let up. "Ugh, fine. I guess you earned some bragging rights. Just don't overdo it alright!"

I patted Grover on the back. "Hey man, this was all in good fun, alright. I had fun yesterday. We should really invite the others to play some basketball with us."

"Oh yeah, we should definitely do that. That way, the guys can make fun of my nonexistent skill." Grover said sarcastically as I laughed at him. For a while, I was in a good mood that morning and everything was fine.

Of course, I spoke too soon. Immediately after, Grover then asked, "Hey man, just wanted to say thanks again for inviting me and Juniper to Fright Fest over the weekend. It was a blast." I winced a bit. The last thing I wanted to think about was that Six Flags trip.

 _And Annabeth. And that kiss._

However, I forced myself to stay collected and grinned at Grover.

"Yeah man, no problem, no problem at all. I'm glad that you could come with us. I had a lot of fun."

Grover nodded his head in agreement. "Me too man. Gods, I just wished I didn't get dizzy early on. I missed out on some awesome rides."

"I mean, the whole group was pretty wiped out after Green Lantern. So you weren't the only one."

"That ride was an absolute torture device! I honestly don't know why we rode it." he moaned, both of us laughing. Afterward, Grover shook his head. "Man, and you still rode Kingda Ka along with Annabeth afterward! The whole time I was thinking _has Percy gone crazy?_ But no, you actually did it!" he said, giving me a bro punch on the shoulder.

I tried to shrug off what Grover said. However, the mention of Annabeth's name made me tense up. "Yeah, I..I mean Kingda Ka wasn't that bad dude. The ride is less than one minute long. It was over before I knew it."

Grover gave me a big side eye. "Wasn't that bad? THAT is what you call an understatement! Man, you and Annabeth must be really freaking crazy or really freaking brave!"

"Let's go with the latter." I stated, which got Grover to smirk. I conveniently did not mention that throughout the ride, I held Annabeth's hand for comfort and safety. That would have definitely not helped my "bravery" case.

"Anyways, again, I want to thank you. We should really do this another time. You..you know what? At lunch, I'm going to talk to the gang about going to Hershey Park maybe this spring. They have decent rides there. Also, it's a chocolate park for crying out loud! What you say?"

"Oh yeah, yeah. Definitely. That sounds cool" I replied. However, I wasn't focused on that; instead, my mind began wandering towards the possibility of having to see Annabeth at lunch.

 _Oh gods._

I couldn't see Annabeth! At least not yet. I had no idea what I would say to her. I immediately began to think of a way to prolong avoid seeing Annabeth. The first thought that came to my mind was to just switch lunch tables. That idea quickly blew up. _That wouldn't work._ _Too suspicious_! _Also, Annabeth will see what I'm trying to do. I don't want to give the impression that I'm trying to avoid seeing her._

Next, I thought about skipping lunch altogether. I reached the same conclusion.

Finally, something else popped into my head. _The library._ Annabeth had told me that the library offered passes during lunch. Conveniently, (or should I say inconveniently?) I had a math exam right after lunch. I had already studied for it over the weekend (well sort of). However, as my mind continued to think about Annabeth, an idea formed.

 _Maybe I can get a library pass during lunch, to "study" some more. That way, I would be able to avoid her for a little longer and not arouse any suspicions._

"Hey, Grover. Uh, change of plans. I..I think I'm going to the library during lunch. I..I gotta study for a math test that I have the period after."

"You're joking right?" he asked, looking at me with skepticism. "Didn't you study the whole weekend for that!"

"Yeah..it was... I thought studying some more would be helpful. I mean, what's the hurt, right?"

Grover gave a little scoff. "Man dude, you sound just like Annabeth when I once tried studying with her" he joked. I forced myself to smile.

"Haha, very funny," Grover then put his earbuds on to listen to some music. I did the same. However, the entire time I was thinking of one thing, again.

 _Annabeth._

Thank goodness I didn't have to see her until creative writing class.

* * *

 **Awkward Library Rendezvous**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Good morning Miss Reed. How are you?" I began as I approached the front desk of the library. Miss Reed was the 60-year-old librarian at CHB High School. As a daily customer, I know her extremely well. She was extremely friendly, helpful, and very enthusiastic about books; I have her to thank for introducing me to David Baldacci, a really great mystery/thriller author.

Miss Reed gave a big smile as she saw me coming towards her. "Good morning to you to Annabeth! How was your weekend?"

"It was great. Yours?"

"It was great as well! I had so many little children come up my door to ask for candy. It was SO cute," she said, which made me smile. Man, I really missed trick-or-treating. In middle school, Percy and I would go trick-or-treating every year together. We had to stop of course as we got older but I remember having so much fun with him. (partly because I would always get more candy than Percy. Haha!)

 _You're thinking about Percy again Annabeth..._

"So, let me guess Annabeth, I'm assuming you came here to get the usual. Lunch pass for 5th period?"

I grinned. "You know me too well Miss Reed. Yes, a library pass would be great."

"Of course, no problem at all. Just sign your name here like always and I'll get you one right away." she said, handing me the library pass signing sheet. I then took a pen out and proceeded to sign my name. Midway, I heard the library door behind me open. I didn't think much of it. After all, lots of people go to the library in the morning to go on the ccomputer or return their books.

Having signed the sheet, I then handed the clipboard to Miss Reed. "Thanks again Miss Reed! I'll see you later in the day. Bye!" She then gave me the pass and returned my bye. I then turned back and was about to exit the library to head to art class. However, I immediately stopped as I saw who was in front of me. My face widened. I was in absolute shock.

Standing in front of me was Percy.

 _No freaking way! Percy at the library?!_ That was the VERY last place I expected him to be! Especially early in the morning! It didn't help that he happened to look really good today. Percy was wearing a really nice green Nautica sweater and some blue Levis jeans. His sea-green eyes were sparkling, as usual. His black hair looked wet still, indicating he had recently showered. It looked similar to when he got out of the pool after every swimming practice. It was kind of hot, admittedly.

 _No, the word was sexy._

"Percy?" I then slowly started, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh, hey...Annabeth," Percy replied. He looked just as stunned as I was seeing me here. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever. I didn't know whether to go out to hug him or stay where I was. There were a solid few seconds of awkward silence before Percy broke it.

"Um, w..what are you doing here?"

"I..I was getting a library pass, for lunch. I have a science exam to study for." Percy then had an _oh-duh!_ look on his face after I said that.

"Oh, of course. Silly me, I should've known that. Duh." he said. I gave a little half smile at Percy. Trying to somewhat continue the conversation, I asked.

"So..um..w..what are you doing here?"

"Actually I..I was about to get a library pass as well. I have a math test to study for." Despite the tension of the situation, I laughed a bit as he said that. "

You're kidding me right?" I then asked. I knew Percy well, having studied with him numerous times before. From my experiences, Percy was not the best at focusing for long periods of time. I would constantly have to badger and remind Percy to focus in our study sessions.

So the idea that Percy would come to the library to study was a little funny.

Percy frowned at me. "Hey, what are you laughing at me for?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just..Percy, in a library, staying still and studying? It doesn't sound like the Percy I know." I joked.

"Maybe you don't know me too well Annabeth." he countered.

I rolled my eyes at Percy as he asserted that. "I've known you for the past 4 years Seaweed Brain. Quietly studying and focusing for a whole period by yourself is something you CAN'T do."

He looked like he wanted to protest. Realizing that he couldn't, Percy moaned. "Ugh, shut up Wise Girl." he finally said. I laughed out loud, this time a genuine laugh. After a while, Percy couldn't help but laugh too. For just a split-second, it felt like things were back to normal, like the kiss never happened.

Of course, the kiss DID happen. And, after the laughter subsided, the awkwardness came back.

"Anyways, "

"So." Percy asked at the same time. There was some more silent staring.

"I..I'll see you in the library later I guess," I finally managed.

"Yeah..yeah I'll see you later," he replied. "M..Maybe you can help me study for my math test Wise Girl." he joked.

I gave a soft smile."We'll..we'll see about that Seaweed Brain," I slowly said. He gave me a little grin. I stared at Percy for a little while longer. I noticed how his smile was so soft and sweet. I think my heart was skipping a few beats.

 _What are you doing Annabeth? You're not crushing on him, are you? No! You're going to be late for art!_

Quickly, I exited out to the hallway, not looking back at Percy. I was walking briskly towards class. My brain was in an absolute spiral thinking of what happened.

 _That was so awkward. Also, er, small note, Percy looked really good today._

Wait, why am I complimenting his looks? _Because he looks great, that's why._

 _He_ 's _your friend!_

Also, on a lesser note, Percy is going to be at the library with me for a whole period. And I STILL wasn't ready to talk to him.

 _Just great._

* * *

 **Compliments**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

As soon as I entered the library in the morning, I knew that my plan to avoid Annabeth backfired immediately. My face expression dropped when I saw her at the front desk.

 _How could I be such an idiot? Of course, Wise Girl would be at the library during lunch!_

Our entire interaction had been so awkward. Annabeth and I were staring at each other, keeping our distances. It was like we were waiting for which one of us would flinch first and mention _you-know-what_. We managed to have a somewhat normal conversation, even laughed a little.

However, eventually, _you-know-what_ would have to come up between us.

 _And it might be sooner than I wanted it to._

I had the whole rest of the school day to think about what I would say to Annabeth. However, my brain felt like absolute kelp. And, unfortunately, fifth period quickly came. I had a last-minute urge to ditch the library and go straight to lunch.

However, what good would that do? Plus, I couldn't keep avoiding Annabeth. I couldn't. I sighed to myself. I then walked towards the library. I hesitated for a bit and then opened the door. The first few minutes I peered around at the entire place. Man I hadn't been in here in .. FOREVER. I took a while to familiarize myself with my surroundings. Looking around for a bit, I noticed something else. Apart from a few students working on the library computers and reading, the place was virtually empty.

Annabeth and I were pretty much alone.

By ourselves.

 _Oh gee that's just great._

Speaking of her, as I looked ahead to the circular study tables at the back of the library, I saw Annabeth sitting down. _Oh crap._ She had her books strewn across the table. She was intently zoned in on her science book.

Man, it didn't help that Annabeth looked absolutely drop dead gorgeous today. For some reason, she was wearing a green sleeveless dress to school, which I had never seen her in before. Annabeth, rarely, if ever, wore dresses. However, I wasn't going to complain. She looked absolutely incredible in it. The dress helped to show off her slim athletic figure and curves, as well as her nicely toned legs. Her blonde hair was curled into a bunch of little ringlets around her face, making Annabeth look like a princess to me. She was just..wow. My heart was beating so freaking fast.

She looked beautiful. And, I was supposed to sit next to her for the entire library period? Forget about it!

Annabeth then looked up and saw me as I kept gawking at her. _Oh, great timing._ She didn't call out my name. Annabeth had an uneasy look on her face as if she was hesitant to ask me to sit next to her.

Oh man. I was in a dilemma. She saw me already, that was fact. If I decided to sit at another nearby table, she might interpret that wrong. If I sit next to her, well, super-super awkwardness will ensue.

 _Especially if I can't keep my eyes off her, which would be impossible._

Two unpleasant choices to choose from.

 _I hate it._

I decided to go for the less unpleasant but still pretty unpleasant choice of sitting next to Annabeth. "Um, hey." I said, sitting down next to her. I then caught off a whiff of her perfume. It smelled like strawberries.

 _Oh man, she smells amazing too! This is just pure torture now._

"Oh, hey, I..I didn't notice you coming over here." she quickly told me.

I gave an awkward laugh. "Oh, okay, right," I told her, while Annabeth gave a forced laugh. More silence. Eventually, I said to her. "Um, I'm going to study now so.."

"Y..yeah, okay, that's a g..good idea. I'm going to do that too." Annabeth stuttered.

Yeah, I was going to study for the next 45 minutes while trying as hard as possible to ignore a super hot girl in a beautiful dress sitting next to me who happened to kiss me this past weekend.

Yep, I got this.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I came to the library early. As usual, I decided to sit in the back where the study tables were. However, I sat further back than usual, semi-hoping Percy wouldn't be able to find me.

I kept peering up from my textbook each time the library door opened. A few kids walked by but not Percy thankfully. However, my luck was short-lived. Seconds later, I saw the door open again.

 _It was Percy._

 _Oh gods, it's Percy._

I immediately turned my attention to my textbook. Percy took a hesitant step forward, staring around at the library. Even though I was panicking, I couldn't help but smile a bit to myself. I could tell that Percy hadn't been to the library for a long time.

 _And of course, he decides to show up today._

I tried to pretend I was studying intently, hoping Percy wouldn't notice me. However, I couldn't help but glance up every once in awhile to look at Percy as he made his way forward, inching closer and closer to me. Each step he took made me panic more and more.

Percy then looked around in my direction. He then saw me. Percy kept staring. He did that for a minute. I tried so freaking hard to ignore him.

 _Focus on science. Focus!_ However, it was pretty hard when those lovely sea-green eyes kept looking at me.

Eventually, I lost the will and looked up at Percy. There he was, staring at me. He almost looked like he was in a daze. I think he might've noticed the fact I was wearing a green dress to school today. I started to blush a bit. _Please, I don't want to look weird or bad in front of him!_ When Percy noticed that I saw him, his face turned to worry. There was hesitance as if Percy wasn't sure that he should come towards me or not. Likewise, I didn't know whether to call out to Percy or try to ignore him. I didn't do either. I kept awkwardly looking at him, a look of uneasiness on me. Eventually, he decided to come towards me.

 _Oh crap. Percy is going to sit with me. I'm not ready to talk to him, still._

Percy then walked cautiously towards me. I began arguing with myself whether I should pretend to go read my textbook or just continue to stare at him. I ended up staring at Percy while the back and forth inside my brain was going on. Eventually, Percy sat down.

"Um, hey." he said awkwardly.

"Oh, hey, I..I didn't notice you coming here."

 _Okay, that was SUCH an unbelievably bad lie Annabeth!_

"Oh, okay, right," he replied, giving a half laugh. I laughed back, though it was forced. More awkwardness ensued. I honestly felt that if there was a Guinness world record for most amount of awkward moments we had today, Percy and I would win.

Eventually, Percy said, "Um, I'm going to study now, so…"

Yes, study! That's what we're here for. Yes, yes I can definitely do that! "Y..yeah, okay, that's a g..good idea. I'm going to do that too," I then stammered to him. I turned back to my science book and flipped to the chapter on types of bonds.

 _Alright, let's refresh my memory on the different types of bonds in chemistry._

For some reason, a weird chemistry joke then popped up in my head. During the first day of school, my chemistry teacher had asked our class the following question: _What is the strongest bond out there?_ Of course, covalent bonds was the correct answer. However, the teacher then said _love, that's the strongest bond out there, get it?_ which got some polite laughs from the class.

Yep, the joke was really corny and that ended up being the chemistry's teacher last attempt at humor for the entire year.

Well, for some reason, I was thinking about the joke right now as I was attempting to study in the library near Percy.

Well, technically, the teacher is sort of right. Love is a very strong bond if you really think about it. I mean, if two people really love each other, they will continue to care, like, and spend time with one another. Both would do anything for the other person. Also, if you truly love someone, you can't imagine life without them.

 _Sort of like how I can't imagine life without Percy..._

I caught myself in these random train of thoughts. No, no! I..I'm not in love with Percy still! I was never in love with him! I just had a stupid crush on Percy in middle school, that's it! I'm so over that! I don't have feelings for him!

None!

I looked up at the clock; _11:10._ Period 5 ended about 11:45.

 _Crap, 35 minutes left? How is that possible! It felt like ages already._

I went back to my notebook.

F _or once, I wish_ _I wasn't in the library._

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

I don't know if I ever tried to focus as intently on a math book than I did in the library sitting next to Annabeth. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help but look up at Annabeth every now and then, continuing to admire. Her face was pretty serious, gray eyes intent on studying. I always thought Annabeth looked cuter when she was in a serious mood.

And that dress; I couldn't get over how good she looked in it. Almost like an angel. And that smell of perfume. Again. Just absolutely...

All of a sudden, Annabeth then turned to me.

 _Oh, shoot._

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I caught Percy staring at me the whole time while we were studying. I tried ignoring it for a while. However, I kept looking up at him at times. Percy was still looking at me.

 _He's probably still weirded out by the fact that I was wearing a dress._ Eventually, I decided to acknowledge that to Percy. Hesitantly, I asked.

"Um, what are you staring at Percy?"

Percy realized what he was doing. "Oh, um, I was..I wasn't staring at anything," he quickly stammared. Percy began shifting around his chair uncomfortably. He tried to focus his attention back on his math book (it was upside down though). Like me, Percy was a really bad liar. I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"You know you're a really bad liar Seaweed Brain." I told him.

Percy wanted to refute. However, he gave up pretty quickly."Ugh, um..okay, you caught me. I lied. It's just I..I noticed that you were wearing a dress today. You never wear a dress Annabeth. Also, you did your hair."

"Oh, um, yeah," I said. "I .. I didn't have any clean clothes today, that's all. The hair, well, it kind of fit the outfit, didn't it?" I said smiling a bit. Also, Percy started smiling a bit as well. I then frowned. "Um, it doesn't look bad, does it?" I hesistantly asked. " I'm not really good at fashion or doing my hair. And, if you're weirded out, that's totally fine tok.."

Percy looked at me like I just fell from the sky. He interjected. "Bad? What are you talking about Annabeth? You look amazing!"

I looked at Percy with wide eyes. _Amazing._

"Y..you really think so?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, my goodness, Annabeth! Gods, did you even look at yourself in the mirror this morning?"

"I .. I did. I thought I looked alright. Samantha told me I looked good too but she was just being nice, that's all,"

Percy shook his head. "Annabeth, I honestly don't know what you're talking about! You look great! Just..you..you look so beautiful in that dress." I stared at Percy, stunned, taken aback when he said the word beautiful. That was the first time Percy had called me beautiful on my looks.

"You..you said I looked beautiful?" I repeated.

I was blushing, a lot.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Oh shit. I did not just say to Annabeth that she was beautiful. I did not just say that.

 _Yes_.. _Yes I did say that._

"Annabeth, oh gods, I'm..I'm sorry. I..I didn't know why I said all of those things. I was just trying to compliment you and, well, maybe I got out of hand…" I was absolutely in a frenzy right now. I was reminded of how Annabeth reacted in Six Flags after she kissed me, how shocked she had been and apolegetic.

I _was doing the same thing now!_

 _We haven't even talked about what happened before! And now, I decided to blurt out that she looked beautiful? All because she decided to wear a dress today._

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _Percy called me beautiful._

In my earlier classes, my friends had all complimented me on how I looked today, taking notice of my dress. They had all said I looked pretty, which I appreciated. Luke had called me hot in math class, which made me smile. I felt like they were all just being kind. I wasn't THAT good looking in my dress, right?

However, when Percy called me beautiful, I don't know why but I felt different about it. I was super touched. His words were so genuine, sweet, and honest. I could tell he meant all those things he said.

Suddenly, I felt my heart beating faster. My breathing was heavier. I felt my insides do multiple backflips. I was feeling super giddy and happy. I didn't want to but I broke out into a big smile.

 _Percy called me beautiful! He called me beautiful_ a part of me said, rejoicing. I felt similar to seventh grade when Percy had called me pretty. I had been so ecstatic.

 _The first time a boy called me pretty._

 _Wait, what are you doing? You're not rejoicing because a friend called you beautiful. He's just saying that to be nice, that's all._ However, still, Percy's compliments made me super happy. I started giggling a bit, maybe a bit too much, which made Percy red more.

"Um, thanks a lot for those compliments Seaweed Brain." I grinned.

"No..no problem at all Wise Girl." Percy stuttered. He then added "I really mean all that though. You look great. Beautiful." Percy suddenly stopped himself again, realizing what he was doing.

"I'm..I'm sorry for calling you beautiful again Annabeth! I just got out of hand, that's all. I'm..I'm going to stop now, okay." he finally said, guilt in his eyes.

The rational part of me agreed that what Percy said was over the top and a little inappropriate to say. However, for some reason, another part of me didn't want him to stop. I liked hearing Percy praise me, especially on my looks. Hearing Percy say I was beautiful made me feel confident.

I felt more beautiful when Percy told me I was beautiful. The rational part of me was speaking out again, though.

 _Annabeth, remember what happened when you didn't act with your head! You kissed him!_

However, I didn't listen to it.

"No, Percy, that's alright. I..I don't mind it. It's not weird. It's..it's really sweet." I told him, making Percy blush a bit more. "Can I just say as well. Y..you don't look too bad yourself," I told him pointing out his sweater. Percy gave a little grin.

"That green sweater you're wearing looks really .. cute on you too." I said. I was being truthful; the sweater did look really nice on Percy.

 _That's just a friend to friend compliment, right?_

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Annabeth had called me cute. Annabeth Chase called me cute!

 _She's talking about the sweater, not you! You idiot._

Okay, that explains why she called me cute. Still, I wasn't complaining.

"Cute. You called me cute." I told Annabeth. I was doing some dolphin flips on the inside. However, I tried to keep my cool, which meant I did a terrible job at it.

"Yeah," she said. "Uh, I mean, you called me beautiful. I..I can't call you cute?" she asked, giving me a little smirk.

"Um, I..I guess that's fair."

We both laughed out loud. I then looked up at the time. It was around 11:25, 20 more minutes till the period ended. _Crap, I didn't even start studying yet._

"Ok, you know what, I REALLY should study for this math test instead of continuing the complimenting game their Wise Girl." I joked.

Annabeth laughed. "I was kind of hoping you would continue to," she stated. From Annabeth's tone, it sounded like she meant it. I was doing a victory dance inside me. Annabeth liked when I complimented her! She then closed her science textbook and scooted her chair next to me.

"So, what you studying?" she asked. Annabeth seemed to be easing up now. I was easing up as well.

That was a good sign.

"Graphing functions with fractions and radicals in it. Let me tell you, I absolutely hate it! Why would you add radicals and fractions to the whole thing when it's already confusing as it is! " I moaned, which made Annabeth chuckle.

Annabeth then took a closer look at my textbook. She was REALLY close to me, her hands on my book, face inches away from mine. I was able to catch the scent of Annabeth's strawberry perfume.

Oh man, did I tell you it smelled good? Yeah, yeah I did.

"Hey, I've done this before! I'm not in Algebra II like you are Percy but I still remember most of it. I can help you if you want. " Annabeth offered, looking up at me.

"No, Annabeth it's alright. I know you have a science test after this period that you need to study for."

"Percy, it's okay I'm serious. I've already reread the same chapter at least 10 times already. My brain is going to explode if I read again."

I gave a little chuckle. "Annabeth, I'm serious too, it's no big deal.."

"Seaweed Brain, just shut up and take my help, okay?" she interrupted me and grabbed a blank piece of paper and a pencil. I was a little stunned, and impressed, by the assertiveness Annabeth displayed

It was kind of hot.

I then smiled at her. "Alright Miss Wise Girl." I told her, making Annabeth grin and roll her eyes. "Um, can I just say, I like it when you act all bossy and mom-like. It's..it's kind of cute." I might have taken things a bit too far calling her cute.

But, I mean, Annabeth called me cute already so it's only fair, right?

However, Annabeth didn't seem to mine. Instead, she started blushing a bit at my comment, which made me smile. However, she quickly tried to hide it.

"Um, I..I also like it when you say all these wonderful things about me. It's..it's cute and sweet as well." Annabeth replied.

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

 _Oh my goodness, am I flirting with Percy? What am I doing? I have a freaking boyfriend already!_

However, that didn't enter my mind at the time. We were laughing and giggling and having a pretty good time. I flipped open Percy's book to the section on graphing. For the next minutes, I began going over how each various function looks like on paper. Percy, for the most part, was paying attention and being a good student. However, midway, he began to smile out loud, all to my surprise.

"Uh, why are you smiling?" I asked, looking at him.

"What? Oh, no, it's ..I was remembering back when we were younger, you would always go to my house after school to help me with my math homework as well. You lectured me like this."

I smiled back. "Oh yeah. I remember that. Your mom always makes us a ton of blue cookies. It was awesome."

"Yeah, yeah..it was," Percy said, hints of nostalgia creeping in his voice. "Of course, you would always eat most of the cookies. I couldn't even leave my room for one second without you snatching some behind my back."

I frowned. "Hey, that is NOT true at all!"

"Yes, it is! And you know it!"

"It's not! Anyways, you didn't deserve those delicious cookies! I was the tutor, duh! So I was well compensated for my hard work!"

"Hey, and I was being a good student as well! Has to count for something, right?"

"Good, yet super annoying, inattentive, and really messy." I pointed out, remembering just how sloppy Percy's room was every time I came to his house. Percy was frowning. He then nudged me on the shoulder.

"Ugh, I want a different tutor! You know, one that DOESN'T steal my cookies, is stubborn, and condescending to her students." he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and nudged Percy back." I'd be hard-pressed to find a tutor as awesome as me!" I grinned

"Yeah, that's true. Or as pretty." he told me.

There it was again. Percy was complimenting my looks. I felt myself doing some more backflips. My heart was breaking again. I really REALLY enjoyed hearing all these things from Percy.

Yet, it was just flattery. He was just being nice.

"Percy, you're being too sweet. I'm..I'm not that pretty." I told him.

"Annabeth, are you kidding me. You really are pretty!"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I'm THAT pretty Percy. I mean, I'm not that into looks. You know that. Never been. I've always been the nerdy girl in school up until high school. I've just now been considered attractive by some." I told him.

"Hey, for the record, I always thought you looked very pretty from middle school Annabeth." Percy mentioned

I smiled a bit at his comment and felt my body tingle. _Really? From middle school?_ But I forced myself to reconcentrate.

"But I'm not pretty compared to the others. That goes to Piper, Silena, and Hazel. They're all really pretty. I mean even Drew. Even though she's an absolute ass, she's prettier than me. I..I have to admit that as well."

Percy turned to me, his face absolutely serious."Hey, Annabeth, that's is not true! You're just as pretty as them, if not more! You're being way too modest on yourself!"

I looked back at Percy. "Percy, can I tell you something? I..I don't know but sometimes I wonder why Luke is dating me in the first place. I mean, he's really sweet and kind to me, which is great. And I'm nice to him. But I feel so awkward at times around Luke. It's like, I'm not comfortable. Plus, I'm not as pretty as all the other girls. I..I don't know what Luke sees in me. I'm kind of worried that Luke might ditch me for some other hot girl in school." I said. I felt some little tears coming from my eyes.

I had kept all of what I said to Percy pent up for months inside of me. It was from all the worry I had ever since I started dating Luke. It was worry that my relationship won't work out. Worry that eventually Luke would dump me for some other hotter chick.

 _Worry that Luke would leave me..._

I felt like it was inevitable, only a matter of time.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

As Annabeth continued her tirade, I kept looking at her in absolute disbelief.

 _Honestly, how was Annabeth so blinded by how incredible she looked? Why couldn't she see what I saw in her!_

"I'm not as pretty as all the other girls. I..I don't know what Luke sees in me. I'm kind of worried that he'll ditch me for some other hot girl in school."

"Annabeth, if he does that, Luke doesn't know what the fuck he's missing out on!" I yelled. There was anger in my voice. My fists were balled up. I was surprised by the harshness of my language. I barely cursed around Annabeth.

"Percy, even I have to admit, I'm not the prettiest girl in school. I know you're trying to be nice but it's just the truth." Annabeth softly said, some sadness in her voice.

I then turned to Annabeth, anger, disbelief, and some _hurt_ in me. I couldn't stand it anymore seeing the girl I care and love act so harsh on herself!

 _Not the prettiest girl in school! Are you fucking kidding me?_

"Annabeth! My gods! I don't know what you don't see in yourself that I see in you! You are by far the most prettiest, gorgeous, beautiful girl I've seen! Ever! I don't think any other girl comes close to being as beautiful as you. No one! Not Drew, Piper, Hazel, Silena, NO ONE!" I exclaimed my voice raised. I noticed some other people in the library turning their heads at me, an annoyed look on their faces by the raucous I was creating.

However, I didn't care. I needed Annabeth to hear this. I needed to tell her how I saw her. She NEEDED to hear it.

I needed to tell these feelings.

* * *

 **Confessions**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _Most prettiest, gorgeous, beautiful, girl I'd ever laid my eyes on._

Percy had said all that, about me. I didn't know how I should react. I continued to look at Percy, absolutely flabbergasted. I tried to say something but honestly, how are you supposed to react when someone calls you the most beautiful girl they'd ever seen? My heart was breaking. I felt a little light headed. I felt like I was paralyzed with emotions.

"Percy..I.." The bell than suddenly rang, signaling it was the end of library.

"I'll..I'll see you in writing class later on Annabeth." Percy said promptly, gathering his books, leaving me alone to think about what just happened.

For the rest of the school day, I could only think about what Percy told me. I tried focusing on my science exam but the entire time I kept replaying what Percy said.

 _The most beautiful girl he'd ever seen._ Gods, I don't even think Luke called me that. Hot, yes. Sexy, definitely many times, more than I wanted him to.

But the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Luke didn't go that far. And Percy called me that.

My best friend Percy.

 _I was so touched. That..that was so beautiful._

All of a sudden, 8th period then came, the last and final period of the day, my mind was still completely on what Percy said. I slowly walked into the classroom to see Percy sitting down in the back of the room. He had an apologetic look on his face. He didn't meet my eyes.

"Annabeth…" Percy began, slowly looking up to me as I sat down next to him. "I'm..I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It was way overboard and inappropriate. I don't know why I keep doing this. I don't know how you could.."

I didn't say anything; I then went to Percy and tackled him in a big, passionate hug mid-sentence. I was smiling widely. I felt some little tears coming. "Percy, you are the most awesome, wonderful, beautiful, most amazing person I'd ever known. You always say the most flattering, incredible things about me."

Percy looked at me, stunned, for a while as I continued hugging him. Some people in the class were looking back at us, a little wide-eyed. I honestly didn't care what they thought

. _I'm hugging an awesome and amazing friend. I don't give a shit what you think!_

 _Language Annabeth. Language._

While hugging Percy, at that moment, I then realized why I kissed Percy back at Six Flags.

"Percy, we..we need to talk about that kiss," I began, in a more lower voice in case anyone overheard.

"Annabeth you..you don't need to explain. It was a mistake. I know that."

"No, I NEED to explain myself," I then said more confidently. I took in a deep breath. I honestly didn't know what I was about to say. But I needed to say something.

"Percy, when I kissed you back at Six Flags, I was just so overwhelmed. I..I was thinking not only about all the things you've done for me the previous month but all that you've done for me throughout my life. Standing up to Nancy Bobofit in middle school, the art competition, helping me through all of my life's struggles. I don't think anyone has cared as much about me as you did over my life. Not my dad, Samantha, not even Luke. I was so grateful and happy of that fact. And, I..I guess that's why I kissed you. A..a part of me just felt that was the thing to do in the heated moment. To show how much I love you and what you meant to me, as a friend. Yet, I know it was wrong and I shouldn't have done it. I know that you just see me as a friend. I'm..I'm so sorry for that."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

 _Tell her you like her. Tell her you have feelings for her._

That was what I was thinking as Annabeth was explaining to me why she kissed me. She told me that a part of her felt that kissing me on the lips was the thing to do in the heat of the moment.

She also said she loved me.

 _Did that mean she has feelings for me? Just tell her you to love her too!_

However, I..I couldn't. The moment felt too delicate and emotional to suddenly drop a big truth bomb that I loved her. It was also still unclear whether Annabeth returned my feelings. She said she loved me, as a friend.

I .. I wasn't brave enough yet to tell Annabeth my true feelings.

Instead, I held Annabeth's hands and looked at her. "Annabeth, it's ok. I..I know you got super emotional about our friendship that time. It's alright. I'm..I'm grateful to have you as well as a friend. And I mean all those things I said before, not just during Kingda Ka but what I said in the library."

Annabeth smiled at me and gave another big hug. "And that's why you're so freaking awesome."

I smiled at her. I felt some pain by not having the courage to tell her my feelings at the moment. But, it..it was okay. She was happy. I liked making Annabeth happy. Besides, our friendship was still pretty solid right?

And that's good enough.

 _Or maybe I'm just fooling myself, again._

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

The rest of class went really well. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time. The teacher had us write about what we did over the Halloween weekend. I was writing about how I was able to spend the entire weekend with my awesome friend.I then showed Percy what I wrote. He grinned and nudged me, all to my amusement.

After class, Percy and I went out into the hallway, both in good moods.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then my beautiful Wise Girl?" Percy began, grinning at me. I giggled. I was smiling widely like an idiot.

However, I couldn't help it. I love when Percy keeps calling me beautiful. I just love it!

"Alright, my cute Seaweed Brain." I smirked at him. I looked around. The hall was empty. I then went over to Percy and, without hesitation, decided to give Percy a kiss on his cheeks. I wanted to show Percy how much he really means to me. It was a _I love you a lot_ sort of kiss.

Percy looked at me for a while, a stunned look on his face. However, when he saw me smile, he smiled back. Percy returned my kiss with his own. It was so gentle and warm. After he took his lips off my cheek, I don't know why but I started to have some butterflies in my stomach. My heart began doing some little flips.

I was SO happy.

After school, I planned to go hang out at Forever 21 at the WTC Mall with Silena, Hazel, and Piper. I was in such a great mood the whole time. I didn't realize it but the whole time inside, I continued to smile. I kept thinking about what Percy had told me.

 _Most beautiful girl._

Replaying it over and over made me feel so warm inside, so lively. I also kept replaying that kiss. It was so intimate and more meaningful than the one on the lips, as weird as that sounds. That was because Percy meant it and wanted to do it. He did it to show how much he loved me as well. And I liked it. A lot.

 _Maybe TOO a lot._

I was strolling through the corridors of the stores, giggling at the little comments my friends would make, dancing at the music the store was playing, acting a little goofy in general. Yeah, I probably wasn't myself that time in the store. And, of course, the girls all took notice of my weird attitude.

"Wow someone's in a really good mood" Silena mentioned, looking at me directly.

"What, Silena, what are you talking about?" I asked her.

"The laughing? The strolling through the store? You were even dancing a bit to the One Direction song they were playing!"

"Hey, I..I just feel good today okay? How am I supposed to explain that! Besides, One Direction..they're not that bad," I told them. However, I grimaced my teeth. I was one of few girls in the minority who did not understand the whole boy band trend, especially One Direction.

 _Their tracks are so freaking cheesy!_

 **(A/N: Little joke on One Direction. Don't hate :P)**

"Yeah, They're great! But I know you absolutely despise them!"

"You know what I think it is girls? It's the dress! Probably all the guys were gawking at her the whole day. And she's flattered by it! I would understand though. Annabeth looks stunning in it!" Piper stated.

"What, no!" I snapped, my face reddening. They were all now laughing and giggling.

"Yeah, you're probably right Piper. It's the dress. You look really good in it Annabeth." Hazel said, smiling.

"Definitely!" Silena added.

"Ooo what did Luke, say huh? He must have been head over heels seeing you in that dress." Piper said.

"He..he just said that I looked hot in it. That's it," Piper had a noticeable frown on her face.

"Really, that's it? I would have expected more from him. Like _holy shit, Annabeth looks absolutely drop dead amazing today."_

I gave Piper a smile. "You're all being way too nice." I declared, giving them each a soft punch on the shoulder, all of them grinning.

"Ooo, I wonder what Perccyyy said," Silena suddenly teased, starting to giggle. I had a shocked look on my face when she brought Percy up.

"Girls!" I told them. "I thought we were through with these Annabeth/Percy dating rumors!"

"Yeah we are but still, he had to say something about how you looked?" Silena said innocently, still grinning. "He must've seen your dress!"

"She's right. I mean, come on Annabeth. He could NOT have said nothing!" Hazel added.

"Yeah, come on, just tell us! We won't judge." Pipes finally said.

"Ugh, you girls are SO annoying." I muttered. I didn't really want to tell them anything. _Especially when Percy called me beautiful._ They..they wouldn't understand. However, they all had a look of anticipation on their faces, really enthusiastic about hearing what Percy said about how I looked.

I couldn't just leave them hanging.

 _Have to give them a little something._

I let out a huge moan. "You all owe me something. Okay, Percy just said I looked good today, that's it." I tersely stated, hoping that would stop the conversation. Of course, it didn't.

"I know that's not all he said," Piper noted.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like Percy." Hazel noted.

"Oh, come on, what more do you want?" I groaned.

"Just details." Silena said. "Specificity would be appreciated."

"Ugh, you all are pushing it! Okay, he..he just said that I looked really pretty. He also used the word beautiful. That's it! But, he meant that as a friend to friend comment, I need to point that out!" However, the end disclaimer did nothing to quell their reactions. All three of them had stunned looks on their faces. They then broke out into a big smiles.

"He..he said that to you? Oh my goodness, that is so sweet!" Piper yelped.

"That's so wonderful Annabeth! I told you two are great together!" Hazel said, grinning at me.

"I knew it! I knew it all along! Called it!" Silena exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air.

"Hey, I don't know if you're all forgetting but Percy and I are not dating, ok? I still am with Luke! I'm happy with Luke!"

"Annabeth, honestly, after what he said, you're not going to go for him?" Piper asked, dismay in her voice.

"I mean, I really liked his comment. It was super sweet. But we're not going to start dating or anything! We're still good friends, that's all."

"Annabeth, Percy likes you a lot. I know that for a fact." Piper added.

I looked over. "He..he does? " I asked, a little more interest present in my voice than it should have been.

 _Percy likes me?_

However, I quickly said afterwards. "Yeah, as a friend! And I really like him to, as a friend, a lot."

Silena went to me and put her arms around my shoulder. "Annabeth, you need to be serious about your own feelings and ask this; Do you like him or not? Because you don't want to keep spending the rest of your life with a guy you're heart is not 100 percent with."

"But, I'm..I'm with the correct guy! It's Luke. I know that for a fact" I countered to her. However, my voice started to break off a bit as I said that. It did not sound convincing at all.

"Annabeth, are you sure about that? Really?" she continued. "I know you like spending your time with Percy. You've known each other since, what, 7th grade, right? In freshman and sophomore, I would always see you two together. You were practically inseparable! You have feelings for him Annabeth. I just don't think you want to admit it or you're worried about it,"

"No, no I..I don't have feelings for him!" I then shot back. My fists were balled up. I was feeling defensive at the moment for some reason.

"Annabeth just be honest with yourself and think about what I said, okay. Just think about it." Silena said. Piper and Hazel also nodded. They then decided to head towards the winter coat section of Forever 21, leaving me behind alone in my thoughts.

Ugh, what did Silena know about love?

 _Well, apart from the fact she's really good at giving love and dating advice to everyone, not much._

Still, that didn't mean what she said was true right?

 _Annabeth, be honest with yourself._

I didn't have feelings for him! I didn't have feelings for Percy! I didn't...

Okay, I..I guess I may kind of have some sort of feelings for Percy that might be considered out of the boundaries of a "normal friendship". THAT'S IT!

I mean, I always found Percy kind of cute ever since we became friends. Actually, to be honest, he was really cute.

 _You could even say handsome._ I also like Percy's sarcastic personality.

 _And his sweetness. Kindness. Caring attitude. Bravery. Selflessness to his friends..._

What am I doing? I'm not crushing on him. Anyways, it doesn't matter. These "feelings" are not serious at all! Even if I did have a "crush" on Percy, it's just like that silly middle school crush I used to have. It's not going to amount to anything. And I was still with Luke, mind you. I..I just happened to like some parts of Percy as well at the same time.

That's not weird at all, right?

 _I don't know Annabeth. Maybe you like parts of Percy. Like, the whole package_ Silena's voice was saying in my head

Oh, shut up!

* * *

 **Hey, that's the end! Hope you enjoyed it! These two are becoming more open feelings wise. They're also flirting. (Percy called Annabeth the most beautiful girl in the world. Annabeth called Percy handsome and cute. Squeal in cuteness)**

 **Also, the big reveal; we learn that Annabeth had once had a crush on Percy in middle school. And, maybe, kind of, not really has feelings. Of course, she denies its strength.**

 **She's moved on! (course she did)**

 **I wonder what's it going to take for her to realize these feelings.**

 **Also, yeah I acknowledge that the chapter might have been a bit weird/awkward. That's the sort of the thing I was going with with the flirting/compliments. Awkwardness. Course I think I might have failed in doing that, which I understand :/. Wouldn't have been the first time I failed at something lol. Basically, I'm trying to have Annabeth go through different stages of slowly accepting her feelings towards Percy she may or may not have.**

 **Course will she realize it? Ya gotta read to find out! ;)**

 **Anyways, Chapter 8 is next. As always, fav, follow, and of course, leave a review. If you do, good things will happen :).**

 **Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8: Jealous

**I asked a little question last chapter what will it take for Annabeth to realize that wittle crush she has on Percy.** **How about a red-haired girl... ;)**

 **So here it is. Chapter 8. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Jealous**

 **School Tour**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

The next few days following the kissing incident were still a little awkward between Percy and I. However, for the most part, everything was back to normal. My relationship with Luke was still solid and, most importantly, my friendship with Percy was still intact. I started punching him on the arm again like I used to before (to his annoyance of course). That was always a good sign between us.

We even started a little inside joke; Percy at times would call me _Beautiful Wise Girl._ It was weird, admittedly flirtatious but it didn't mean that I wanted it to stop. I liked it when Percy called me that, it made my mood brighten up instantly.

One day, around early-mid November, I was called into the principal's office early morning.

"Good morning Mr. Chiron. Did you call me in?" I entered the office to come face to face with Mr. Chiron Brunner, the principal of CHB High School. He was a man of around age 50 with brown hair and brown eyes. He permanently sat in a wheelchair due to some unknown leg condition, However, from what I heard, at full height, Mr. Chiron was a very tall man. He was also an avid fan of horses. Throughout his office, one could see various items associated with horse riding. Most of all, Mr. Chiron was an extremely caring and wise person. I consider Mr. Chiron sort of like a father figure to me. I've been very close to him ever since I entered high school, coming to Mr. Chiron for advice both school and personal.

Mr. Chiron, likewise, treated me almost like I was his daughter, telling me personally I was one of his favorite and brightest students.

Mr. Chiron looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning Annabeth. How are you? Hope I'm not disturbing you with this early call in."

"No, not at all. What can I do for you?"

"Oh yes! There's a new student who has just moved into New York over the weekend. I unfortunately can't remember this person's name off the top of my head but today is their first day at CHB High School. If you can give this student a little tour of the school and make them feel welcome, that would be great Annabeth!"

"Of course, Mr. Chiron! That's what I'm great at." I exclaimed, making Mr. Chiron smile. Whenever it came to the task of greeting new students to CHB High School, Mr. Chiron usually left it up to me.

"I knew I could always count on you Annabeth. The person will be here any minute hopefully. They will come straight to the office. Again, thanks, Annabeth!" I then exited and waited outside the office. A few minutes passed by and nothing.

Suddenly, out of the corner of the hallway, a girl turned. From the looks of it, it seemed like I had never seen this girl before at school. She had bright red frizzy hair and freckles on her face. Her eyes were a sharp green. She was wearing an oversized white t-shirt with a peace sign on it and some ripped jeans which had some doodles on it.

She was quite a pretty girl. The red-haired girl then turned towards me.

"Uh, is this the school office?" she started.

"Yes, yes it is. I'm assuming you're the new student Mr. Chiron was talking about? I'm Annabeth Chase, nice to meet you." I started, extending my hand out. Instead of shaking it, however, the girl then came over to give me a big hug instead. I was stunned at first by this girl's forwardness but I eventually eased up and hugged her back.

"Hey, Annabeth! How are you? My name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare. But just call me Rachel Dare alright? I don't really like my middle name."

I chuckled. "Alright, then Rachel. Well, I guess we will start with the school tour!" I led Rachel around the school, taking her to some of the big places like the library, gym, and cafeteria. I also talked a bit about classes at high school.

However, we ended up talking about ourselves. Rachel told me her father worked as a land developer across the country. Rachel also stated she was a big fan of art, which came as a pleasant surprise to me. I then told her I was a big fan of art too. We bonded quite quickly over that.

My first impressions of Rachel: she seemed pretty cool.

I was about to take Rachel back to the office to conclude our tour. However, midway, I ran into Percy, who was headed towards the gym.

"Hey, Percy!" I called out to him.

"Hey beautiful Wise Girl how are ya?" he said, grinning. As usual, I blushed a bit at his comment.

"Oh shut up Seaweed Brain!" I exclaimed. Percy came over to give me a high five. However, Percy then noticed Rachel standing right beside.

"Oh, uh, my bad, I didn't notice you there. Are you new to the school?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, she just moved here recently. I'm just giving her a tour."

"Cool. This girl is the best in the business at doing that so I would pay very close attention." he said. I grinned and punched Percy on the shoulder.

Percy chuckled. "My name is Percy Jackson." he began, extending his hand.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. But just call me Rachel Dare please." she replied. However, she didn't shake Percy's hand. Rachel also came forward to hug Percy.

 _This girl really was a forward person._

"Whoa, alright there." Percy exclaimed, a little bit stunned by Rachel's hug gesture. Seeing Rachel hug Percy, I don't know, I started to get a bit...uncomfortable at the sight. It was just...weird.

"So, you're last name is Dare? That's pretty cool."

Rachel got defensive. "Why, got a problem with that?"

"No, no I don't! Having Dare as a last name seems pretty badass to me. Just saying." Rachel lightened up at Percy's explanation. She gave him a half-smile.

"Oh, thanks."

"So, where did you move from Rachel?" Percy then asked.

"Boston. Went to a private school up there. Just moved to New York because my dad has a new job assignment here."

"No way, you're a Boston girl? Please don't tell me you're a Red Sox fan, are you?"

Rachel nodded her head. "Been one since I was a kid."

Percy shook his head. "I am so disappointed in you! Big Yankees fan here."

Rachel scoffed. "Oh, are you serious? How the heck can you be a Yankees fan!"

"Um, because they're awesome! Duh."

"Yeah awesome enough to blow a 3-2 series lead in a best of seven against the Astros in the ALCS."

"Hey, you guys lost too! First round in fact! Least we made it one game to the World Series."

"I'll give you that. However, starting from 2004, we have 3 rings. You all have a measly 1."

"Um, the Yankees do have the 27 World Championships versus Boston's 8 so we have that edge there." I muttered under my breath. The Yankees were my favorite team and I usually liked talking about them.

But seeing Percy and Rachel talk about it with one another made me feel..weird.

I wasn't too happy about it.

Percy put his hands up, apparently hearing what I had said. "See Rachel! Like Annabeth said. 27 vs 8. Yanks are better. Fact."

"Oh shut up Percy." Rachel finally said, giving Percy a little punch on the shoulder. I tensed up at Rachel's gesture.

 _Hey, that was my thing with Percy! It was our own thing!_

The rest of the time they continued to chatter, some laughter mixed in the middle as I stood there, becoming more and more uncomfortable.

"Um, I should take Rachel back to Mr. Chiron's office. Our tour's going a bit over time!" I quickly interjected.

"Actually Annabeth, I was planning on meeting up with the art teacher after this to ask about their art club. But thanks so much for the tour! Hopefully, I'll see you soon." Rachel declared. She turned to Percy and smiled.

"See you later Percy guy." she said grinning at him as Rachel headed down the hallway towards the art room.

 _They have_ _nicknames for each other already?_

"Alright, then Rachel girl. See you later." When Rachel cleared the hallway, I took the opportunity to punch Percy on the shoulder, this time harder than before, annoyed by what he had done.

"Ow, what the hell was that for Wise Girl?" Percy yelped.

"You were flirting with her the entire time Seaweed Brain!" I snapped at him.

"No, I wasn't! I was being friendly and saying hello. That's it!"

"Oh right. The joking around, the _Rachel girl_ nickname you gave her!" I pointed out.

"Hey, Rachel called me _Percy guy_ first off. Plus, Annabeth, you know I suck at flirting. Why do you think I'm still single?" he asserted.

 _Yeah, how's a good looking guy like you still single?_ I shook that thought from my head. I then rolled my eyes at Percy.

"Besides, why do you care if I flirt?"

"Hey, I...I don't care Seaweed Brain! Y .. you interrupted my tour. That's all!"

"Alright, alright, point taken I guess. My bad. Never interrupt the Beautiful Wise Girl's school tour ever again." he stated grinning. "But let me just say, for the record, I did NOT flirt with Rachel, alright?"

"Ugh, you're SO annoying!" I groaned as I walked away from him, leaving Percy by himself confused. For the first time, I wasn't lightened up by the nickname.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I wasn't bothered at all with Percy's flirting. It was..it was just pretty rude of him to do that in the middle of my school tour.

Also, flirting with a girl in front of your friend was NOT cool at all.

You really shouldn't do that.

* * *

 **Lunch Table Invite**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

On the way to 5th-period lunch, Rachel came up beside me and called out my name.

"Hey, Annabeth!"

"Oh, hey Rachel. So, how were your first day of classes?"

"Pretty awesome! I have Science and English with that Percy guy you introduced me to so that's nice" A part of me felt a huge level of disappointment.

 _Hey, that is so not fair! She has more classes with Percy than I do! And in the morning?_

I stopped myself. _Whoa, was I...was I jealous?_ No, no! I was.. I was a little bit bummed, that's all! I mean, wanting to be in the same classes with your friend is normal, right?

So naturally, you would be somewhat jealous.

"Oh, that's cool." I managed to say.

"You know, this..this might be weird for me to say but Percy's kind of cute, don't you think?"

 _She finds him cute. What?_

"Oh, um, yeah. I...I guess so." I stuttered. I really REALLY wanted this Percy talk to end immediately.

Rachel frowned at me. "Um, you two aren't dating, right? Because if you are, I'm so sorry for that comment. Totally inappropriate."

My eyes widened. "What, Percy and I, NO! No!" I said defensively. "We're not dating. We're good friends, that's it! I'm dating this guy named Luke."

"Really? He called you a nickname before. I think it was _Wise Girl._ RightI tried my best to hide my blushing from Rachel.

"Um, yeah, it's a little inside joke we do. I call him this nickname, _Seaweed Brain,_ at times. We made these nicknames in seventh grade when we met each other."

Rachel gave a little laugh and smiled. "Oh, that's really cute. I can tell why you would call him that. Percy is a bit goofy and sarcastic at times from what I can tell."

"Yeah. Yeah, he is."

 _End this conversation now Annabeth._

"Um, I'm going to head inside for lunch. I'll see you later?"

"Okay. See you later Annabeth!" I then quickly headed in.

 _Rachel finds Percy cute. She finds him cute. Wait a minute, why do I care if some girl finds him cute? None of my business!_

I then made my way to my lunch table. Percy sat down next to me as he kept his distance.

I looked over at him and frowned. "What?"

"No, I'm just keeping my distance in case Wise Girl decides to punch me again."

 _Wise Girl._ I was remembering back to what Rachel had told me.

 _You guys have nicknames for each other?_

That's not weird is it? I've been calling him Seaweed Brain for gods knows how long. Again, it's...it's a thing we do. All friends do that, right?

Eventually, clearing my head, I smirked at him. "You know I can still nudge you on the shoulder from here Seaweed Brain!" as I nudged Percy on the shoulder. I noticed though I was a bit more hesitant than usual to use that nickname.

Percy sighed. "Oh, of course, you can." he flatly muttered as I laughed. However, we then both noticed Rachel walking past us. She gave a little wave to both Percy and I as she sat at an empty lunch table nearby.

The gang also took note of the new girl.

"Who's that?" Jason asked.

"Rachel Dare. She's the new girl. It's her first day here." I told him.

"Ooo, she's not that bad looking. Kind of cute." Leo commented.

"Leo! I thought you were into Calypso still! " Piper exclaimed.

"Yeah I still am! But this girl's not bad. Also, let's be honest, she would definitely fall for Leo's charm. You know that Pipes!" Leo replied, grinning.

"Guys are so freaking weird." Piper expressed, shaking her head at Leo.

"Hey, why is she sitting there all alone?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, I kind of feel bad for her." Frank added.

"I mean, it's her first day. She doesn't know that many people. Maybe I should go over to Rachel to sit with her for a while. Make her feel less lonely," Percy proposed, getting up, grabbing his lunch tray.

"No!" I suddenly cried out loud instinctively. The whole gang looked at me, confused.

I then realized what I had done.

 _Oh, shoot._

Trying to explain myself, I continued. "I mean, no, Percy shouldn't go there all alone! That's...that's way too kind of him to do."

"Hey, it's alright. Just want to make Rachel feel welcome, that's all."

"Yeah, but that's..that's too cumbersome having to sit there by yourself Percy. You barely know her!"

"Really Annabeth, it's okay, I'll be fine."

 _Ugh!_ Percy was acting so nice it was annoying. _Wait, why am I annoyed by his actions? He just wants to sit near Rachel to be friendly. That's all._

Yeah, but Percy sat here next to me! That's the way it was!

 _Annabeth, stop acting childish_ the rational part of me stated.

"Um...it's just.." I then said, trying to come up with an excuse.

"I think Rachel should sit with us," I managed. I think I might have been gritting my teeth a bit.

"Oh, well, why didn't you say that Wise Girl?" Percy told me, grinning. Everyone else also started laughing and grinning, giving me some shoves on the shoulder. I gave them a half-smile. However, the whole time, I was watching Percy go up to Rachel, who asked her to join us. There was a smile growing on her face and a frown growing on mine.

"Hey guys, meet Rachel here, the new girl!" Percy declared as she brought Rachel over.

"What's up guys?" Rachel started, smiling at everyone. My friends greeted her warmly and amiably.

"Hey Rachel! How are you. Why don't you sit down with us?" Silena offered, patting to the empty seat right next to her.

"Oh, that's alright. I'll just sit between my good friends Annabeth and Percy. But thanks for the offer." I think I almost spit my drink out when Rachel said that.

 _Sit next to Percy and I? Why?_

"Hey, that's alright Rachel. Unless of course, Annabeth is uncomfortable with that." Percy said.

"Um, yeah, I...I don't mind," I tersely replied.

 _No, you do mind! You do mind!_

However, I scooted over and gave some space to Rachel. She then sat down.

Rachel turned over to Percy and smiled at him. "Hey Stankees guy." she teased, grinning at Percy.

"Blosox girl." _Ugh, they were still talking about baseball?_

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Percy I don't even know if I want to be science partners with you anymore. You're so aggravating."

 _Wait, they are partners in science. You HAVE to be kidding me..._

Percy smiled. "Really, it's just the first day! You hate me already?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Gee thanks." The two broke out into laughter, all to my annoyance and disappointment. The rest of lunch period Rachel and Percy continued to talk to one another. I ended up fiddling around with my straw throughout, occasionally looking up at the clock to see if it was already time to leave.

 _30 minutes left. 20 minutes. 10 minutes_.

Initially, I was supposed to go to the library today but ended up changing my plans so I could hang out with Percy.

I was really regretting my decision.

Afterwards, the lunch bell rang. I felt relieved. I never heard a better sound in my life at that moment. Rachel got up from the table. Turning back to us, she asked.

"Um, you guys don't mind if I sit here again tomorrow, right?"

"No, not at all." Percy said. "Annabeth, you cool with it right?"

I stared at the both of them. _Just say no Annabeth. Just say that and you can go back to talking with Percy._

However, I was too nice to say that. That would be mean. Forcing a smile, I managed. "Yeah, totally, I'm cool with it."

Rachel gave both of us a high five. "You guys are awesome!" she exclaimed as Rachel exited the cafeteria.

Percy turned to me. "Rachel's pretty cool Annabeth, huh?"

"Yeah, she definitely is." I muttered dryly. Percy stared at me for a bit, sensing something wrong. However, noticing, I then broke into a half smile, not wanting to show my uneasiness with Rachel.

"Uh, she's really into art like me you know?"

Percy grinned. "Oh, that's great. Hopefully, you two will get along."

 _Yeah, like you get along with Rachel and keep flirting with her nonstop!_

However, I suppressed that thought.

"Yeah, maybe we will."

"Well, I'll see you later in creative writing class Wise Girl."

"Later Seaweed Brain." I kept staring at Percy until he exited the cafeteria. Luke then came up to me.

"Hey Annabeth." he said, giving me a quick kiss.

"Oh, hey." I replied flatly. My mind was still on Percy and Rachel.

"Um, who's that new girl, the redhead?"

"Rachel Dare. She just moved here from Boston. This is her first day at school."

"Oh, that's nice. You know I have to say Annabeth, she's kind of cute, don't you think?"

I looked up at Luke in absolute shock and disappointment. "Oh, are you kidding me, Luke!"

"Hey, Annabeth! I was just complimenting her! You know me! I mean, Rachel is cute. Even you and I have to admit that!"

I scoffed. "Ugh, you are so infuriating at times Luke!" I murmured as I stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving Luke by himself.

Ugh, first Percy is flirting with Rachel during my tour! Then Rachel sits between Percy and me in lunch. Then Luke, freaking Luke, HAD to say she looked cute.

 _Never mind the fact that Rachel and Percy are getting along really well..._

I was starting to like this Rachel girl less and less.

* * *

 **Auditorium Meeting**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

The next day, we had our weekly auditorium meeting for all juniors.

Now, usually, I HATE these meetings for one very good reason. They're led by Mr. Dionysus a.k.a Mr. I-hate-my-job-so-much-that-I-will-intentionally-make-life-miserable-for-all-my-students. I had him, along with Percy and my friends, for 9th-grade Ancient Greek class. He absolutely sucked as a teacher and was extremely cranky to all his students. Honestly, he was the first teacher I ever was cool with making fun of.

However, recently, Percy and I started sitting together during these meetings. Like me, Percy absolutely hated these meetings. It ended up being pretty fun. Percy and I would always be near the back chatting and laughing.

I actually began looking forward to these things.

Before entering, I took my phone out and texted him.

 _Me: Hey Seaweed Brain =). Where are you planning on sitting?_

 _Percy: Oh hey Wise Girl. I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you. I'm sitting with Rachel today._ I looked at my phone in utter disbelief. My mood shifted from happy to sullen.

 _Me: Uh, what?_

 _Percy: Sorry, it's just..this was Rachel's first meeting here and she didn't know anyone else in the auditorium. So she asked if I could sit with her. Of course, I had to say yes._

 _Me: We...we always sit together._ I told him. It was true. That was the only reason I could stay somewhat awake the entire time.

 _Percy: Yeah, I know that. I'm so sorry Annabeth. Hey, I'll make it up to you after school! Cheeseburgers on me?_

For some reason, I felt some anger rising inside. However, I held it in and forced myself to reply to his text.

 _Me: Yeah, okay, no problem Percy!_ I quickly turned my phone off and put it in my pocket. I had a weird urge to scream out loud in frustration. I then looked around in the auditorium, trying to find someone I knew who I could sit next to. Unfortunately, the gang were already in their seats. I then tried to find Luke. However, he had also already sat down, next to some of his teammates as well as Drew (ugh).

I groaned to myself.

 _I guess I have to sit by myself._

I went to the back to the far right side, along the wall. Sitting down, I thought of a way to be able to pass some time. _Some Scrabble with Friends should do._ However, suddenly, I saw Percy and Rachel headed in. They sat down around 2 rows in front of me, also along the wall. I could see them from here.

I didn't want to but I began overhearing their conversation.

"So what are these meetings about?" Rachel asked Percy.

"Just a bunch of upcoming announcements for the week. Also some 'school spirit' stuff. Honestly, I never pay attention. They're so boring. Mr. D, the teacher who leads it, is an absolute ass. Usually, I'm with Annabeth in the back chatting or something." I frowned and sighed at the mention of my name.

 _Yeah, and I like that_.

Rachel laughed and smiled. "Well, I'm glad I have someone to talk to for the next few minutes." I sighed again to myself.

I wish I could say the same.

The rest of the meeting went by as expected, absolutely boring. I think I might have completed 4 Scrabble games altogether. Midway, Rachel began to get pretty bored. She started yawning a bit, her eyes drooping more and more as time went by. Eventually, she fell asleep. Rachel's head started drooping to the left.

It so happened to be that Percy's shoulder was there.

Rachel ended up resting her head on Percy as she went to sleep.

 _She looked really content._ Percy, though, looked uncomfortable. He began fidgeting around a bit, trying to readjust his shoulder. He tried as hard as he could to stay still as Rachel rested on him.

As I continued to watch from behind, I felt some envy rise inside. Luke rarely let me sleep on his shoulder when I was with him. He said that it was "corny" and "weird". I constantly teased him for it.

Seeing Rachel sleep on Percy made me envy why I couldn't do that with Luke.

 _No, the word is jealous. I was jealous that Rachel was sleeping on Percy._ I remembered back to the time in the museum where I had rested my head on Percy's shoulder during the Space Show movie. I remember feeling happy and relaxed at that moment.

 _Kind of like how Rachel is feeling maybe._ A part of me cried out _I_ _wanted to be the one resting my head on Percy's shoulder right now,_ _not Rachel!_

Why was I thinking these thoughts? Rachel fell asleep by accident on his shoulder that's all! Besides, it's a just a friend sleeping on another friend by accident, just like Percy and I.

 _That friend happens to be another girl, though._

Annabeth...

Still, I couldn't help but feel some anger within me as I continued to watch the two for the next minutes. The bell then rang. Rachel woke up, rubbing her eyes. Noticing she had accidentally fallen asleep on Percy, she turned to him, a little red on her face.

"Oh, Percy, uh, sorry for that."

"No..no, it's alright! You..you slept well at least?" Percy sheepishly asked.

Rachel gave a little grin. "Sort of. You move around a bit too much Percy."

 _Weird, I didn't feel Percy move at all when I slept on him._ Rachel exited the auditorium. I, too, began to exit. I was still angry. Afterward, Percy caught up to me.

"Annabeth, wait up!" Percy called out.

"Nice to see that you're enjoying your time with your girlfriend right there." I briskly declared. I meant that to be a joke. However, the tone that I used was harsher than I wanted it to be.

"Girlfriend? What are you talking about! Rachel fell asleep on me by accident!"

"I would say she seemed to like it a lot." I muttered.

"Annabeth, what are you talking about! Are..are you okay? You've been acting weird the past two days!"

"Weird? Whoa, okay there Seaweed Brain, hold on! Why are you assuming all these things all of a sudden? You have a problem?" I sharply asked. Percy had a puzzled look on his face, surprised by the harshness and abrasiveness of the girl he was talking to. I was surprised as well.

"Annabeth, please, if there's a problem, just let me know, ok?" he finally said. Percy then proceeded down the hallway to head to class.

What problem? There was no problem! What the heck was Seaweed Brain complaining about? I was fine!

 _Um, a Rachel problem. You might have a Rachel problem Annabeth._

Oh, stop it!

* * *

 **Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping**

 **(Percy POV)**

Was it just me or was Annabeth acting a little weird the past week?

Of course, she kept denying it. But I knew Wise Girl well enough. I knew what normal looked like. And she wasn't that. Annabeth was acting moodier, a little colder, and more abrasive than usual.

Especially around Rachel.

 _Rachel._

Now, personally, I thought Rachel was pretty cool and fun to hang out with. However, don't get me wrong, I wasn't attracted to her. Even though she was cute admittedly, I still had deep feelings for Annabeth.

I really didn't know how Annabeth viewed Rachel. Maybe it was something the two had talked about in private that made her act a little coldly around her. Rachel was a big Red Sox fan. And I know how Annabeth can be quite passionate about the Yankees.

 _Maybe that's why Wise Girl is acting this way._

On Wednesday, a little more than a week removed from Thanksgiving, Annabeth and I decided to go to Union Square to check out their Greenmarket. Usually, during Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there would be an open food market at Union Square. There were people selling things like organic vegetables, ice cream, and organic meat. Since Thanksgiving was approaching, we both decided to see what was up.

Annabeth was in a really good mood today. _And, of course, she looked great as well._ We were strolling through Union Square Park when we came across a vendor that was selling olives.

Of course, Annabeth had to stop and check it out.

"Ooo, organic olives!" Annabeth exclaimed as she approached the vendor. "Do you serve free samples, sir?" she asked the man.

"Yes, definitely!" he said as he handed Annabeth an olive with a toothpick in it. "Try it out, young lady." Annabeth took a bite. Her eyes lit up.

"Wow, these are delicious! I definitely need to have some."

"Well, a single jar would be about $10 ma'am if you're interested in buying. Sorry, it's expensive but it's chemical free and organic." Annabeth began rummaging around her purse. She then cursed to herself.

"Shoot, I don't think I have enough money! I'm so sorry sir. But thanks for the sample!"

"Um, I have some money if you want." I told Annabeth.

"No, Percy, that's too kind of you! You don't need to do that."

"Hey, that's alright. Consider it a Thanksgiving gift sort of."

Annabeth smiled. "There's no such thing as a Thanksgiving gift Seaweed Brain."

"Well, this is the first one then my Beautiful Wise Girl." I told her as I handed the man the money and gave her the jar. Her eyes lit up. Annabeth proceeded to give me a big hug.

"You are so freaking awesome!" she exclaimed, which made me smile widely. Gods, I love seeing Annabeth happy. We then sat down at the nearby bench, Annabeth eating some of the olives.

In the middle, I asked her something. "Annabeth, I...I have to ask this. Have..have you talked to your dad yet? You know, about upcoming Thanksgiving?" Annabeth's mood dampened significantly at the mention of her dad. I didn't want her to feel down but considering a big holiday was coming up, I was eager to know whether her father would be coming.

"No." she tersely replied.

"Annabeth, really, it's almost Thanksgiving! You don't want to see your dad?"

"Percy, I don't want to see him, no! He's an asshole! He doesn't care about me. You know what happened before!"

"Annabeth, I know that. But you can't keep holding a grudge against him!"

"Percy, the last thing I want for Thanksgiving is to be reminded of how unthankful I am to have such a terrible dad."

"You can't hate your dad that much." I mentioned.

"Oh yes I do." Annabeth bitterly told me, her face clearly sad and angered. I didn't want to continue to push this topic. However, I had to add one thing.

"Annabeth, at least write your dad a letter, email or something. Ask him how he is. Invite him over for Thanksgiving." Annabeth looked at me for a while. Eventually, she sighed.

"I'll..I'll think about it." Annabeth murmured. I nodded my head slowly. Annabeth suddenly got up from the bench.

"Alright, you know what? I'm still a little hungry. You up for some Joe's Pizza? I have enough money so it's on me now."

"Hey, you don't need to do that. I still have some money left Annabeth."

"Seaweed Brain, just shut up and accept my favor, ok?" she demanded.

I smiled at Annabeth. "Alright then." We headed across the street to go to Joe's. Annabeth's mood seemed to be brightening up, which was great. We were about halfway there.

However, all of a sudden, I saw Rachel appear from one of the Union Square's subway exits.

"Rachel?" I called out. Rachel looked at me, a surprised look on her face. Her bright red hair was in a tangled mess. She was also carrying a bunch of signs. One of them read _The climate is changing! Why aren't we?_

"Percy. Annabeth." Rachel started. "What are you doing here?"

"I would say the same to you."

"Well, I asked you first."

"Oh ok, I see how it is then." I responded as Rachel laughed. I glanced over at Annabeth. Her mood dampened again. She had an annoyed, disappointed look on her face as I was talking to Rachel.

"Annabeth and I were just looking around at the market here at Union Square. We were about to head to Joe's."

"Yeah, we were." Annabeth mumbled. I noticed she put more emphasis on the word were. "What are you doing here Rachel?" she asked dryly.

"There's an environmental protest that I'm going to. We're speaking out against the inaction of the government against climate change. It starts in around 15 minutes so I got some time left."

"Oh, that's cool. Um, you..you want to join us for some pizza?" I asked, trying to be polite to Rachel. However, Annabeth looked annoyed. I heard a little groan coming from her, not audible enough for Rachel to hear but audible enough for me to notice.

"Yeah, join us. Why not?" Annabeth huffed, a little coldness and sarcasm present.

 _Gods, why did Annabeth dislike this girl so much?_

"Really, oh you guys are awesome!" Rachel exclaimed, not noticing Annabeth's tone. The three of us then headed into Joe's. Annabeth and I ordered the regular cheese slice while Rachel decided to order one of their white pie slice.

We sat on the stools near the window. Rachel had decided to sit between Annabeth and I. Annabeth had a grimace the entire time on her face as Rachel sat down.

Rachel turned to me. "So, you excited for Thanksgiving Percy?"

"Um, yeah, sort of. I'm not really planning on doing anything. Maybe dinner with the family. That's all."

"Oh, that's nice. How about you Annabeth?"

"Huh?" Annabeth asked, taken aback by Rachel's question. Clearly, she was zoned out of the conversation. "Yeah, I'm..I'm doing things."

"Cool." Rachel and I continued to talk for the next minutes. The entire time I noticed that Annabeth kept playing with the straw of her drink, taking little half-hearted nibbles of her pizza. Occasionally, she would give us some discrete side looks and grumble to herself, giving some eye rolls as Rachel laughed.

I learned something today. When Annabeth plays with the straw of her drink, it's a tell that she's annoyed by something.

Eventually, Rachel looked up at the clock. "Oh, I have to go guys. But thanks so much for inviting me for pizza. I really appreciate it!"

"Yeah, it was nice hanging out with you Rachel."

"Yeah, same." Annabeth half-heartedly muttered. Rachel both gave us hugs. As she left, Annabeth still had an annoyed look on her face. Eventually, I confronted her about it.

"Alright Annabeth, just spill it. You're annoyed by something."

Annabeth then looked at me, some shock on her face. "Percy. What? No! What are you talking about?"

"I know you! You're eyes get all scrunched up whenever you're disappointed or perturbed by something. You have a little scowl on your lips."

"Hey, I don't do that!"

"Um, yes you do. And I want to know what's bothering you."

Annabeth punched me on the shoulder "Ugh Percy, now it's you that's annoying me!"

"Annabeth, you said now. Do..do you have a problem with Rachel?" She tensed up a bit when I mentioned Rachel's name. Her scowl returned.

"No..no I don't! What the heck are you talking about?" she quickly replied.

"Annabeth, don't lie to me."

"I don't have a problem with Rachel!"

"Annabeth..."

"Percy, look, I'm cool with Rachel! I'm cool with her, alright! " she cried out. She was shouting almost. Some people inside Joe's began giving us some looks.

Annabeth quickly collected herself. "Look, I know you like spending time with her Percy. That's fine with me! I don't care. Any friend of Percy is automatically a friend of mine."

"Hey, that's not true." I responded. I liked spending time with Annabeth. Surely, she should know that!

"Look. It's okay. I don't have a problem with Rachel! Now, let's go. I have to head home soon." she tersely declared, effectively ending the conversation. Annabeth walked outside, not looking at me, headed towards the subway.

I shook my head. My goodness, what is up with Annabeth? It was like.. she's acting jealous that I was spending time with Rachel.

However, I quickly shook that thought.

 _Why would Annabeth be jealous? She's dating Luke! I'm the one that should be jealous for goodness sake. I still have to deal with the pain of seeing her with him! And I STILL have that freaking kiss in mind!_

However, I bottled up these feelings as I caught up to Annabeth.

 **Favor**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _Problem with Rachel! What the heck is Percy talking about? I didn't have an issue with her!_

I was thinking about that lunch the next day while watching Percy and Rachel chat. Rachel had consistently been eating lunch with us at our table. Our friends were currently laughing at one of Rachel's jokes. Percy was looking at me the whole time though, sensing some easiness within me.

Noticing, I quickly forced a smile and gave a half-hearted laugh at Rachel's joke.

 _I mean, come on Percy if I did have an issue with Rachel, surely I would have told her to leave the lunch table!_ Yet, she's sitting next to me!

Isn't that proof?

The bell then rang. The gang then got up from the table to leave. Percy, however, stayed a while longer, continuing to give glances at me, trying to see if I was okay. I gave a smile to Percy, trying to lessen any worries he had.

 _Wait there are no worries. What am I talking about?_ Eventually, Percy left.

"Um, Annabeth." I suddenly turned to see Rachel.

"Oh, hey Rachel." I said. Some tenseness came back.

"Uh, I know this is really weird for me to ask you this. And, like, I'm TOTALLY cool if you don't want to do this. I'll understand. I..I was wondering whether or not you could ask Percy if, um..he was, like, interested in me?" she stated nervously.

I looked at Rachel for a while. "You..you mean, like, dating-wise?"

"Yes, dating! I...I like Percy. He's funny. Sweet. Also, he's..he's pretty cute." Rachel said, blushing. I felt myself tense up some more. "It's .. I don't know how to ask him out or if he's interested in me as well. And I know you two are really good friends. So, I thought that you could ask him for me, as a favor. " she said, some optimism in her voice

I continued to look at Rachel for a while, still stunned at what she was getting at. A slight part of me was saying _oh, that's great, a girl that's into Percy._

However, mostly, I felt some defensiveness. I was saying _no, don't date Percy! He's not interested!_ I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was Percy's close friend and felt protective of him.

I honestly didn't know what to say to Rachel. I started off by stating. "Um, I should let you know Rachel, Percy hasn't dated in quite a while actually." That was true. It had been nearly a year since Percy last dated.

"Oh, really?" she said. I sensed the optimism in Rachel's voice dampen a little

"Uh, yeah. He's been single for around a year."

"That's kind of hard to believe," Rachel mentioned.

"Yeah, it is." I suddenly started remembering the conversation I had with Percy at Emmett's earlier in the school year. I had asked him why he was still single. Percy told me he hadn't found the right girl yet, which was pretty hard to believe. Percy mentioned, though, about a girl that meant a lot to him that he knew from a young age and had feelings for.

To this day, I constantly tease Percy at times to tell me who this girl was but he wouldn't let up. It was the only thing Percy didn't want to reveal to me.

So, in all, I wasn't really sure if Percy would want to date Rachel.

"I..I don't know if he would be interested Rachel." I finally said after a while of musing.

"Oh, okay." she uttered, clearly disappointed. Rachel's smile started to fade. Her green eyes began to darken. "Well, um, sorry to bother you Annabeth. I..I should go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Rachel finally said, getting up from the lunch table.

I was about to leave it at that. However, seeing Rachel sad made me stop and reflect for a bit.

 _Annabeth, what are you doing? You don't even know whether or not Percy would reject Rachel! Don't try to dampen her spirits!_

Also, truthfully, I was acting harsh towards Rachel the past few days. Rachel wasn't a bad person. Maybe doing this favor for Rachel would be good for her and Percy as well.

"Hey Rachel, sorry! I shouldn't have said that. It was just..I may be a little defensive of my friend. I care for him. I'll..I'll ask Percy later in creative writing class whether or not he's interested you."

Rachel's frown immediately faded, replaced with a big smile. She went up and gave me a big hug. "Oh, you would? Oh my gods, thanks, Annabeth! You're the absolute best! " she exclaimed. I gave Rachel a little smile and hugged her back.

I should've been happy. I was doing a favor for a friend.

And for Percy.

Yet I was feeling so tense and uneasy. Why?

Maybe I'm being WAY too protective of my best friend.

* * *

 **Mixed Signals**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Entering creative writing class, I still felt some uneasiness within me as I approached Percy.

"Hey Beautiful Wise Girl." Percy started, grinning, as I sat down. I gave a small smile at Percy as I approached him.

 _I really like that nickname._

It's probably going to stop, though, when he's dating Rachel.

 _I didn't want it to though._

"Hey Seaweed Brain." I replied as I sat down. I then looked at Percy.I had no idea how to start. I mean, telling someone _hey, so like, this girl is really into you and stuff, to let you know_ was weird no matter how you put it.

"Percy, I need to tell you something." I began. "Rachel is interested in you." Percy's smile faded. It was replaced with confusion.

"Uh, what.."

"She's really interested in you. She was wondering whether..whether or not you're interested in her. And would like to, um, date her."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

"She was wondering whether or not you would be interested in dating her?" Annabeth had told me.

I looked at Annabeth with wide puzzlement. "Rachel... Rachel wants to date me?" I responded, not believing Annabeth.

"Yeah, she seemed pretty eager about it. Of course, I..I didn't know what to say. I just told her, you know, I'll ask Percy. Then she said thanks."

I kept looking at Annabeth and thinking about it.

 _Rachel wants to date me._

I had no other interest in any girl other than Annabeth in all honest. Especially, after that kiss. Especially since I told her that I thought she was the most beautiful girl I've ever met after seeing her in that dress.

Of course, Annabeth still considers what I told her "extreme hyperbole" and flattery.

I really meant what I said though.

 _That's probably why I haven't dated any other g_ irl _for the past year. I'm in love with Annabeth._

"I..I don't know Annabeth. I'm not sure." I finally said, being honest.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _That's it. Percy said no! That's final!_

That was how I was reacting when Percy said told me he was unsure about whether or not he would want to date Rachel. I should've left it at that. I wanted to leave it at that. I was still uneasy about the prospect of the two dating for some , again, I began thinking back to the conversation we had at Emmett's. I began thinking back to all the times Percy was there for me, whether it was for my dad, the Six Flags ride, or throughout my life.

 _Percy was always there for me only._ _That's why I kissed him after the ride. I was so overwhelmed by that fact._

I realized something. All this time Percy has been caring about only one girl, me, even though I was only his friend. I didn't deserve it. I wasn't his girlfriend or anything. Throughout this whole time, I could have been hindering Percy's chances of being able to find someone he loved because of me. Because Percy cared way too much about me than he should. I had been hindering him from being able to connect and find this "girl that meant a lot to him."

Suddenly, I felt guilty. I wanted Percy to be happy.

 _I was stopping him from achieving that._

"Percy, are.. are you saying that because of me?" I slowly asked.

"What?" Percy expressed. He had a shocked look on his face.

"Are you saying you won't date Rachel because of me?"

Percy continued to stare at me, stunned. "Annabeth, what are you talking about? Of course not!"

"Percy. I know you care a lot about me. And I appreciate that. But I realize that all this time, I had been taking time away from you from being able to find someone. I'm not even your girlfriend Percy! I'm just a friend, that's all. I'm being selfish having you to myself when in fact, I want you to find someone you love."

"Annabeth. You're not hindering me from finding someone I love! You're not being selfish! You know that I do all that I do because I care for you."

"Yes, I know that Percy. And I care for you too. You know that as well as I do. But I want you to find someone you love also at the same time." I then took a deep breath.

"You've..you've always said to me before that there was this girl you knew from a young age that meant a lot to you. I..I don't know who this girl is but I've realized I've only been in your way of getting to that girl."

"Annabeth, no you haven't. This girl means A LOT to me yes. A LOT more than you realize. But you haven't..." Percy tried telling me but he looked pained. I understood why. He cared way too much for me and this girl at the same time.

It was way too sweet.

"Percy, listen, I don't know where this girl is now. Maybe she's moved on from your life or not. But you should give Rachel a chance. She's super nice and sweet. Maybe you'll find that she's, in fact, the girl you're looking for."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

 _I want you to find someone you love._

That's you Annabeth! That's you! The girl that meant a lot to me from a young age that I'm talking about is you!

I wanted to say those things to her so badly but I couldn't. It will only shock her. Plus, I didn't have the guts to do it. Annabeth just saw herself as a good friend to me. That's it. That was why she said she saw herself as a hindrance to me in finding happiness. Annabeth always saw herself as an annoyance unfortunately to others.

 _But y_ _ou're not a hinderance Annabeth! You make me happy! I was happy with you, even only as a friend._

Yet, that was just a lie. I always knew that I would only be truly happy if we were more than that.

It was clear that would not be the case.

That made me feel more pain. It made our kiss, which I had liked a lot, now feel like a cruel tease of life and reality.

 _We're always going to be friends, that's it. That kiss was just a blip._

It didn't mean my feelings for Annabeth would go away, no. It never will. I loved her too much. I will always have feelings for her no matter what. I could never look at her without yearning to be more than a friend.

 _Dating Rachel._ I really wasn't interested like I said. It never entered my mind up until now. Yet, at that moment, I began to think about it more and more.

 _Maybe dating Rachel will help me somewhat forget Annabeth._ _Not completely. But just enough to mitigate the pain of not being Annabeth._ Plus, Rachel seemed pretty fun to hang out with.

And she was cute.

Maybe this would work out.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Ok, I'll..I'll ask her out tomorrow Annabeth, " Percy said.

I smiled. "Ok, that's great. I'll tell her." I replied.

I felt happy for Percy. I really did. I wanted him to be happy. Seeing him happy made me feel happy.

Yet, at the same time, something stirred inside me. My uneasiness returned. My tenseness came back. I felt myself breathe heavier. I felt a little crushed when he said he would date Rachel.

A little .. heartbreak.

 _Percy is now dating Rachel. Percy is dating Rachel._

Why am I feeling this way? I was then reminded of a few days ago, at the mall, when I admitted I have a little crush on Percy now still.

 _Maybe I'm sad because of that crush._

No, it couldn't be! It was just a silly one like in middle school! It didn't amount to anything real! It was just certain things I like about Percy! Plus, Percy was now dating Rachel, me Luke. I didn't want to get in the way of him finding the person he loved which may be her.

Besides, I may have done that already with the girl that meant a lot to him.

I didn't want to do it again.

* * *

 **Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Percy's heartbreak leads him to try to date Rachel in other to forget about Annabeth. Of course, will it work? We'll have to find out. (Also, Annabeth STILL is oblivious who this "girl that means a lot to Percy" is! My goodness, it's frustrating me and I'm the one writing the story lol)**

 **Enjoy your day everyone. And leave a follow/fav/review if you dare to do so.**

 **Not trying to freak you out. Just saying :D**


	9. Chapter 9: Afraid

**Here it is. Chapter 9. A Thanksgiving-themed chapter. Sorry for the long wait; I was dealing with some minor writer's block (nothing major though) for the chapter and a busy schedule. Also, this is a LONG chapter. However, better late than never I guess. So, here it is!**

 **I also want to note that this chapter will include more POVs from other characters other than Annabeth and Percy. I will try to continue to do that in the proceeding chapters. However, don't be mistaken; a majority of the story will still revolve around Percy and Annabeth. It's a Percabeth fanfic after all. And we all love that, right? :D.**

 **Further, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews you gave the previous chapters, as well as those who newly fav/follow the story. And, of course, everyone who continues to follow from the beginning. Thanks so much. You guys are freaking awesome.**

 **Pound it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Afraid**

 **Parade**

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

Rachel and Percy make such a cute couple.

I was happy for them. I really was, especially for Percy. Hopefully, he finally found a girl that he liked.

And that made me happy. If Percy was happy, I was happy.

Yet, I still couldn't shake these weird feelings I kept experiencing, the same ones I felt when Percy said he would ask Rachel out. It was a mixture of uneasiness and tenseness. Whenever I saw the two kiss, I don't know why but my mood would dampen. Whenever I would see Rachel approach Percy in the hallways, I would start to act skittish and go away.

It was...I wasn't comfortable. Now I knew why Percy acted weird when he would see Luke around me. We're both uncomfortable seeing us with our significant other. I don't know why.

Percy also began spending more time with Rachel and less with me in the past week. I expected it to happen, of course. I did the same thing when I first started to date Luke.

Still, I couldn't help but feel down. I liked spending time with Percy. Percy was fun to be around and his humor and personality is contagious. Whenever I had a bad day, I could always count on Percy to make it better.

 _I_ _guess this is how he also felt when I started dating Luke and spending less time with him, huh?_

Hey, it's just been one week! Why am I acting like I miss Percy or something? I don't!

Monday then came, just a few removed from Thanksgiving. I was at my locker, gathering my books, about to leave when all of a sudden, Rachel called out to me.

"Annabeth!"

I turned to her. "Oh, Rachel, hey, how are you?"

"Good! Great! Amazing actually!" she excitedly exclaimed, smiling widely. "This past week has been absolutely awesome! I never got to thank you for helping me hook up with Percy Annabeth! Thanks so much!"

I gave Rachel a smile. "Hey, no need to thank me. I mean, can I just say, you guys look SO cute together!" I commented. I meant that. They did actually! They really did! I mean, they looked absolutely, positively... _gods, is it just me or is the voice inside my head talking really loudly now?_

Rachel blushed. "Oh, thanks. Yeah, Percy has been so awesome and sweet. Like, this Wednesday, we're going to go together to see the balloons being inflated for the Thanksgiving Day Parade."

"Really?" My voice dropped. I started to get down. I had always wanted to go with Percy to the same event. We had planned to do so previous Thanksgivings but never got around to it.

"Yeah, I can't wait! Anyways, again, Annabeth, I don't know how to thank you! You're such an amazing friend." as Rachel hugged me.

"That's great Rachel. I'm..I'm happy for you." I replied as I hugged her back.

I wanted to be excited for Rachel. I WAS excited for Rachel.

Yet, for some reason, all I could think of was _I wish I could go with Percy! I wanted to go to the event with Percy!_

I felt disappointed, sad, these foreign feelings engulfing me.

 _Gods, why do I feel like this?_

* * *

 **Dad**

 ** _(Piper POV)_**

"So, Perachel is now a thing huh?" Silena stated at lunch on Tuesday. It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving Break began. The gang was originally discussing their plans for the break. However, as we saw Percy and Rachel walk in and sit down together, the conversation couldn't help but shift.

"Silena, why the hell are we discussing this?" Jason asked.

"Jason! Percy's our friend! As well as Rachel! Don't you care about them?" she responded.

"Yeah, I do, obviously. But, like, their love life? Isn't that like a bit too intrusive?"

"Hey, a friend should want another friend to be happy, right? Having a good love life is part of that." Hazel interjected.

"Maybe. But still, like privacy man!" Jason reiterated, which got a nod from Leo.

"Honestly, I don't know what the concern is Silena. Rachel seems pretty cool. I mean, she's a big environmentalist. I like that." Grover commented.

"You like her don't you Grover?" his girlfriend Juniper teased.

Grover had a stunned look on his face. "Juniper! I don't! I...I appreciate the causes she fights for! Can't a guy do that?"

Juniper shook her head. "Excuses, excuses." she joked, which got Grover to glare at her.

"Okay, you're not going to get extra pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving at my place!" Grover teased, which made Juniper laugh and nudge her boyfriend.

Frank laughed as well. "Okay guys, we should really just get back to talking about our plans for Thanksgiving instead of Perachel gossip. So, I heard your dad Zeus is coming over for the holidays, right Jason?" The rest of the conversation, I kept looking over at Annabeth, who was staying silent the whole time. She looked disinterested, instead looking over at Percy and Rachel, who was fooling around with one another. Maybe it was just me but she had a wistful look in her gray eyes, which looked even grayer, as she saw them.

 _My goodness, Annabeth looks so gloomy without Percy. It's only been a week since Rachel and Percy started dating!_

I felt myself getting sad for her. Now, don't get me wrong, Rachel is cool. She's funny and sweet. And Perachel is a cute name mashup, which I've teased Percy for.

Yet, I don't know, I just didn't feel the chemistry between them. I didn't. They looked happy. I wouldn't deny if they were. But there was some uneasiness, especially on Percy's end. There was hesitance I felt from him when with Rachel. Some longing for something else.

 _Or someone else._

It was subtle but I could sense it.

However, when Percy and Annabeth were together, that chemistry was present. It was strong and potent. They felt like an unbreakable link. It was weird to say but you could feel the potency of their relationship from afar. When they joked and laughed, it was honest, genuine, and infectious to those around them. I was kind of jealous of how strong their relationship was. Even Jason and I weren't that strong and we were dating! They weren't!

I know I shouldn't care about this stuff. It's just personal love life crap like Jason said. Plus, I should have been looking forward to Thanksgiving. My dad Tristan McLean, who works in Hollywood as an actor, was coming over for the break.

And I was super pumped.

But I couldn't help but care. Seeing two people that I KNEW were meant to be with each other apart absolutely sucked. I knew Silena and Hazel felt the same on this like me. Percy had a thing for Annabeth. I knew that. And I was certain Annabeth also had a thing for him, even if she didn't want to admit were just scared most likely, not wanting to confront their feelings.

 _Maybe that's why Percy has been trying to avoid her this week._

"So Annabeth, you doing anything fun?" Frank then asked, breaking my train of thoughts.

"Huh?" Annabeth asked, looking up. She had been playing with her soda straw (she's been doing that a lot recently it seems). Clearly, she was caught off guard by Frank's question. "Um, uh, no, not...not much." she responded.

"Come on, nothing Chase? No plans with Prince Charming-as-hell Luke?" Leo joked.

Annabeth gave a little laugh. "I mean, Luke is having his family over at his place. I'll just be at home with Samantha."

Silena put her arm around her. "You're dad is coming though, right?"

"Uh, yeah..yeah he is." she quickly answered.

"Oh that's great." Silena responded, smiling at her. I peered over at Annabeth. She seemed a little..hurt by Silena's question. She quickly looked down, away from us.

From the few conversations I had with Annabeth about her dad, she was extremely passionate to talk about him. Though he lived away overseas in Britain, I could tell she still very much loved her dad. The fact that Annabeth's response to Silena's question was short and quick was a little odd.

The school bell then rang. We all hugged and said bye to one another. However, I stayed behind to talk to Annabeth.

"Hey, Annabeth." I softly began, trying to put my best charmspeak voice on.

"Oh, hey Pipes." she responded.

"I just wanted to ask about the upcoming Thanksgiving break. Everything alright with you?"

"Yeah..everything's alright Pipes, of course! Why do you ask?"

"You said your father was coming over for the holiday. I was wondering when he's coming?"

Annabeth brushed her blond hair to the side. She did that whenever she was nervous.

 _Or about to lie._

"Um, yeah. He's..he's coming Thursday actually!"

"Really? Oh, that's great. Do you need any help picking him up? I can drive to the airport."

"No, no! That's okay. That's way too nice and sweet of you Piper! Samantha and I are picking him up." Annabeth stammered. I knew Annabeth was lying the moment she started talking. She was SUCH a terrible liar.

However, I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't know what the problem was.

 _Or what the lie was about._

"Alright, then Annabeth. Have a great break! Just let me know if you need anything, ok? I'm your friend. We're all your friends. We want to help you if you have an issue!"

"Yeah, of course. Definitely Pipes. You..you have a great break as well." Annabeth quickly said, forcing a smile. Annabeth then promptly exited the cafeteria.

I knew something was up.

I later confronted Hazel and Silena about it in our Greek mythology class.

"You notice anything weird about Annabeth girls?" I asked them.

"Weird?" They had a confused look on their face. "What are you talking about Pipes?"

"No, it's just, I was talking to her after lunch after you all left. I asked Annabeth about when her dad was coming over for Thanksgiving. She seemed apprehensive about it."

"I mean, it's her dad Piper. From speaking to her, she loves him a lot." Hazel stated.

"Yeah, he also lives overseas if I'm not mistaken. In Britain. Annabeth doesn't get to see him often. I would get apprehensive to if I talked about him." Silena added.

"I know that. But when I asked Annabeth, she started brushing her hair back, getting nervous, almost like she was hiding something from me."

"Hiding something?" Silena asked, concern present on her face.

"You..you think she has a problem with her dad?" Hazel questioned, also concerned.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I..I don't know. I thought that you all might know something." Silena and Hazel both shook their heads.

"Believe me Piper, I would have mentioned it to both of you right away if I suspected something." Silena said.

"Hope everything is alright with Annabeth."

"Yeah, hopefully, everything is." I finally said.

There were about 2 periods left of school. I should have been anticipating the upcoming break.

But, I couldn't help but be worried about Annabeth. Here's the thing about her. She's not the keenest on seeking help from others when she needs it. I don't know if it's a pride or stubbornness issue but it absolutely frustrates me.

The bell than rang. The students ran outside of class, happy for the break to start. However, as I walked out, I had one person in mind that I wanted to talk to.

 _Percy._

If there was anyone who knew what was going on with Annabeth, it was Percy.

* * *

 **You still care**

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

I should have been happy dating Rachel.

 _Wait, what am I talking about? I am happy with her!_ Rachel is such an awesome person. She's really sweet and fun to hang out with. In our first week of dating, I took Rachel out to some great places in New York like the Met, Bryant Park, and one of my personal favorites, the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn.

Yet, even while dating her, my mind was still occupied with one thing; _Annabeth._

Gods, I still feel sad thinking about her. Going on dates with Rachel was cool. Yet, each place I went, I couldn't help but wonder _I wish I was with Annabeth. I wish._ I always knew I liked spending time with her. It never occurred to me this much though.

Even looking at Annabeth was hard enough. Rachel was pretty. However, I still stand by what I say when I told Annabeth she was the most beautiful girl ever. She was.

 _That's why I'm in love with her._

Not to mention I STILL think about the kiss we shared every now and then.

I tried to relieve the hurt by spending more and more time with Rachel and less with Annabeth, thinking it would help me forget about her. I wanted to forget about Annabeth. I had a girlfriend already. It's absolutely wrong to keep thinking about Annabeth.

Was it working though? That was a different question.

It was the end of school on Tuesday. My mind was still on Annabeth as I packed my books, about to head out. I had planned to go hang out with Rachel at a nearby Starbucks (Rachel is very much into coffee, which weirds me out). All of a sudden, as I closed my locker, I was greeted by the site of Piper standing in front of me.

I jumped back in shock. _What was she doing here?_

"Pipes! What the hell!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, sorry, did I scare you?" she innocently asked.

"Scared. More like pleasantly surprised."

"No, I think I scared you Perce." Piper said giving me a little smile.

"Okay, fine, if you want to call it that." I took a deep breath. "Alright, what can I do for the lovely Piper?"

Her smile faded. She looked at me, face serious. "Percy, I wanted to know, do..do you know if Annabeth is okay?" I grimaced at the mention of her name. Yet, the part of me that cared for her (every part really) went into panic mode.

 _Annabeth? Not okay?_

"What are you talking about? Did something happen to her?" getting defensive.

"No..no, she's fine! At least I think so. I'm asking because I was talking to Annabeth at lunch about Thanksgiving."

"Oh," I responded. I began to recall back to the conversation I had with Annabeth at Union Square, when I asked her if she would invite her dad over for Thanksgiving. Knowing Annabeth, she probably didn't contact her dad like I suggested.

"Yeah, no everything is fine from what I can tell."

"Are you sure? Because I asked Annabeth about her dad. She seemed, I don't know, apprehensive talking about him."

"Uh, yeah." I began. At that moment, I didn't know whether I should tell Piper the backstory with Annabeth's dad or not. I was the only other person than Samantha that knew about it.

"I, uh, I wouldn't worry. Everything's..everything's cool with her dad from what I can tell." I stammered, lying.

 _Gods, I hope I did a good job._

Piper studied me carefully for the next moment, her kaleidoscope eyes changing colors rapidly. Eventually, she shook her head and let out a little chuckle. "Man Percy, you're just like Annabeth. You suck at lying."

 _Crap, I didn't do a good job._

"What?" I asked innocently. "What are you talking about?"

"You get all fidgety and jumpy when you're lying. You also rub your hands through your hair."

"Hey, I do not do that!" I countered.

Piper chuckled some more. "You sound like Annabeth as well." she muttered.

I groaned at Piper. _Sound like Annabeth? I do NOT sound like Wise Girl at all! I do not_.. _okay, admittedly, what you're doing right now is a little like what Wise Girl would do._

I then sighed. I really didn't want to tell Piper Annabeth's backstory. But she wanted to know what was up. She had a look of concern on her face. Like me, Piper cared for Annabeth very much.

"Okay, Piper. I'll tell you what's happening. But DO NOT tell Annabeth I told you this! She'll kill me for it."

Piper nodded her head. She zipped her lips for emphasis.

I took a deep breath and began. "Remember that Friday when Annabeth stayed home from school?"

"Yeah, that was pretty weird. First time in a long time she was absent. But Annabeth was sick that day, right?"

"Annabeth wasn't sick at all. She lied about it. Remember when she told us her dad was about to come over for the weekend? He had to cancel at the last minute."

Piper had a shocked look on her face. It then turned to absolutely worry. "No….oh..oh my goodness, poor Annabeth!" she cried out. "Was..was she okay?"

I shook my head. "Annabeth took it really hard. I came over to see if she was fine. She looked pretty awful. Annabeth had been crying the whole night. I tried comforting her and took Annabeth over to my place to cheer her up. She ended up sleeping over."

Piper put her hand on my shoulder. "Percy, that was a really sweet and beautiful thing you did for her. I'm happy you did that." She then paused. She had a moment of realization, connecting all the dots together. "That..that's why you took her to the AMNH! And Central Park! You were trying to make her feel better!"

I had an embarrassed look on my face at Piper's assertion. "Yeah..uh, initially, she was going to go with her dad. Annabeth still had the tickets. So we decided, you know, hey why not go together? Central Park was an..unfortunate coincidence. Well, it wasn't unfortunate. It was actually pretty nice. Okay, DON'T take that the wrong way but…" I was slurring my words at that point.

* * *

 ** _(Piper POV)_**

I felt absolutely heartbroken for Annabeth. I wanted to go see her and hug Annabeth as hard as possible.

I knew what it was like to be away from your parents. My dad was constantly busy with Hollywood stuff and my mother, Aphrodite (works in the beauty/fashion industry in France) was busy as well. I rarely got to see them. It sucked.

But, your parents canceling a visit with you? Even my parents didn't do that! And Annabeth's dad did, twice, from what Percy told her! I felt absolutely devastated for her. No wonder she was hesitant to talk about him.

Also, can I say, my goodness, how sweet, caring, thoughtful, and amazing was Percy to Annabeth? I knew Percy always acted like that to her but to come over to Annabeth's house, take her to his place for a sleepover, followed by a walk in Central Park and a museum trip?

 _All because he cared for her!_

Aww, that was so cute and beautiful! I honestly felt like tearing up and hugging Percy. I ended up doing the latter part, to his surprise. Add they really really REALLY care for one another to the list of awesome things these two have.

Ugh, they should be together already! Why aren't they? It's an actual crime at this point honestly.

I let go of Percy, who had a red look on his face. "Percy, Annabeth is so fucking lucky to have you."

Percy's face reddened some more. "Hey, I'm just being a good friend that's all. You would have done the same Piper." he quickly said. I almost scoffed at his statement.

 _Good friend? More like_ _acting as an incredible, awesome boyfriend! If Jason could be more like this..._

"So, Annabeth is cool with her dad now?" I asked.

"I..I don't know." Percy responded, his face darkening. "Initially, she said that she didn't want to invite him over for Thanksgiving."

"She's still angry at her dad, huh?"

"Yes, I would be too. But I know how much Annabeth loves her dad. She can't continue to harbor a grudge against him. I know her. I asked Annabeth to send a message, ask her dad to come over for Thanksgiving."

"Do you know if she actually did it?"

Percy shook his head. "Probably not. You know Annabeth Pipes. She's stubborn. That's why she didn't tell you about her dad issues. She didn't want to worry us."

I shook my head. That was usual Annabeth, thinking she was laboring us with her problems and wanting to solve them on her own.

"Percy," I slowly began. "You need to find out about her status with her dad. Convince Annabeth to forgive him. Like you said. She cares for him a lot. It's unhealthy to keep a grudge."

"Pipes, I can't do that! I have a girlfriend now!" Percy exclaimed.

I looked at Percy in absolute puzzlement. "What are you talking about?"

"Pipes, I'm with Rachel! Annabeth is just my friend! I can't keep thinking and worrying about her!"

"Percy! How can you say that?" I told him, stunned.

"Piper, we're just friends! That's all. I can't continue worrying about her like I did when I was single and had a crush on her. I need to forget about Annabeth."

"So that's why you've been ignoring her the past week, huh?" I said, my voice rising. "You think you could just forget about Annabeth that easily and go to another girl?"

"Piper, what are you talking about! I'm spending time with Rachel. I'm..I'm not ignoring Annabeth intentionally." Percy stated. However, his voice wavered at the last part. It was clear that he was lying.

"Percy," I said, taking in a deep breath. I looked at him intensely. He needed to hear and pay attention to what I was about to say to him.

"I know you're not with Annabeth, Percy. I know that fact pains you. I know that feeling. I felt it when Jason was with another girl before we were together."

"Pipes, that's not true." Percy weakly countered. However, I ignored him and continued.

"Maybe that's why you're with Rachel. You think you can move on to another girl. And I'm not going to judge that. But to think that you're going to just forget about Annabeth all of a sudden, you're fooling yourself. You should NOT stop caring for Annabeth. In fact, you're NEVER going to stop worrying and caring about her! It's part of your instincts, Percy. It's part of your love for her.

" I..I don't love her anymore Piper! I can't have feelings for Annabeth anymore! I'm with Rachel. I like Rachel!" he told me. It was clear the words he was saying pained him. He looked at me, his sea-green eyes sad. Percy looked absolutely lost and confused like a ship stuck in the middle of the ocean. It was apparent that he still harbored deep feelings for Annabeth.

However, he kept trying to deny it and put it off.

"Percy, just because you're with another girl doesn't mean you'll stop having feelings for someone else!" I exclaimed. I then put my arms around Percy, comforting him. I looked at Percy straight in the face, expression still lost. "I'll respect your decision if you want to keep dating Rachel. That's up to you. It's your choice if you want to admit your feelings to Annabeth. But I won't respect if you think you can ignore Annabeth all of a sudden. Or think that you'll just stop worrying and caring about her. Because you won't. That's why you did all those things for her when she was hurt. Because you care for her. And I know, deep down, you still would do the same regardless." I finally said as I left Percy in the hallway.

* * *

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

My shot of expresso did not taste good.

Two reasons. One, expresso is WAY too strong a taste for me. I only ordered it at the insistence of Rachel. I had wanted to puke the moment I tried it. Second, I kept thinking about what Piper told me in the hallway after school.

 _You're never going to stop caring and worrying about her. It's part of your instincts._

Piper's wrong! I can forget about Annabeth! I can stop worrying about her! I have a girlfriend! I have to!

 _I want to._

"Percy, everything okay?" Rachel asked me, her face in a frown. I looked up from the ground.

"Huh?"

"You look lost in deep thought. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Rachel. It's just..this espresso shot is so freaking strong. You should NOT have forced me to drink it." I weakly joked, forcing a grin.

Rachel shook her head and gave a little sigh. "Honestly Percy I sometimes do not understand your drink and food preferences.." she muttered. There was some weird silence between us, Rachel unsure what to say and my mind still occupied with my conversation with Piper.

Eventually, Rachel said, "You know, I've said this already so many times but I can't wait for tomorrow. It's going to be awesome! I'm glad you're taking me." she stated as Rachel leaned over and kissed me on the lips.

I smiled at her. "Yes of course! No problem babe. There's no other person I would want to go with other than you." which got her to grin.

 _Well, except for Annabeth. You two have ALWAYS wanted to go see this event together, right?_

* * *

 **Surprise**

 ** _(Silena POV)_**

Being a friend and half-sister to Piper, I've learned one crucial thing. Always be wary of her plans. Always.

Piper had told us the backstory of Annabeth's issue with her dad this morning. Of course, she had made us swear on the River Styx not to make mention of that fact to Annabeth.

We were all as shocked and saddened. I felt so sad for Annabeth. She didn't deserve any of it. Now, it seemed as if she didn't want to see her own father for Thanksgiving, or ever.

That was just awful.

However, as we were on board the A train to Annabeth's place, we began to question Piper's plan of action to rectify the problem.

"Um, can you repeat the plan again Pipes?" Hazel asked as we neared the stop.

"1) Get Annabeth 2) Go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon inflation event with her 3) Find Percy 4) Give the two some space alone 5) Let the magic happen."

"Gee, I wonder what could go wrong," Hazel sarcastically mumbled. "Other than like the very first part of the plan to get Annabeth."

Piper glared at her. "You have a better idea Hazel?" to which she responded with a shrug.

I interjected. "Why couldn't we just talk to Annabeth about her dad ourselves?"

"First, she's going to kill Percy for telling me about it. You know Annabeth guys. Second, Percy is the only person that can get to her. That's why it's crucial to get the two alone." Hazel and I nodded our heads in agreement. That was true. If there was one person who could get to Annabeth, it was Percy.

"Honestly Piper I think you're trying to hook the two up." Hazel said teasing her.

"Well, if that happens to be a consequence of my plan then so be it." Piper said, grinning.

"Oh, is THAT what you meant by _let the magic happen?_ " Hazel noted snickering.

"Hey, phrases can have diverse meanings you know!" We both laughed at her. _Y_ _eah that would be magical. Annabeth and Percy hooking up._

Eventually, we reached Annabeth's stop. We exited and made our way to her apartment. Approaching the door, Piper gave a little knock. We were then greeted by the sight of a young middle-aged woman.

"Hello?" she asked, looking at us.

"Hi. It's Samantha, right? My name is Piper, remember me?"

"Piper..Piper, oh Piper! Hey, how are you? It's been quite a while since I've seen you! Wow, and you brought along your other friends!"

"Yes, I'm Silena and this is Hazel." I then said. We all introduced ourselves. The next minute, we had a little girl chat between the 4 of us.

"We're here to see Annabeth if you don't mind Samantha. " I then told her after our chat concluded.

"Yes Annabeth. She's in her room now. Was she expecting all of you?"

"Um, no. It's a little surprise. We're planning on taking her out somewhere before Thanksgiving." I told her. That made Samantha grin.

"Ooo, a surprise. I like that!" Samantha exclaimed. "Well, come on in and sit down first. I'll tell Annabeth she has company." We entered her apartment and sat down on the couch while Samantha offered us some drinks, which I politely declined.

While waiting for Annabeth, I began looking around at her living room. I had been to her place a couple of times before in the past. It was still pretty much how I remembered. Annabeth's apartment was a small but elegant little place. In the living room, in the corner, was where she kept some of her accolades she had won in high school from track and academic decathlon. On the other side, there was a piano set. On top of it was her prized Yankees cap, which Annabeth held very near and dear to her (she had told me it had been a gift from her biological mother). On another side, there was an art competition award she had gotten from 8th grade.

I smiled as I saw that. Annabeth had always been into architecture and drawing. And she was, quite simply, astounding at it. I knew for certain she would be an architect when she was older.

Thinking about the award, I had always pushed Annabeth to tell me the backstory of it; how she won. Why she participated. For some reason, she had always refused. It was one of the few things I didn't know about Annabeth.

Pretty soon, we heard the sound of her bedroom door open. Annabeth then walked out. She was wearing some grey pjs and an orange CHB High School shirt. Her curly blond hair was let down in a tangled but cute mess around her face. She looked like she was in the mood today to chill and stay at home, not be interrupted by one of Piper's plans.

 _Sorry Annabeth, little change of schedule for you. Blame Pipes for that, not me!_

Annabeth's gray eyes had a look of both mild shock and annoyance as she stared at the three of us. "Alright girls, why the heck are you here?" she asked, cutting to the chase.

"Annabeth! How are you!" I exclaimed. The girls all took turns greeting and hugging her. I hugged and held on to Annabeth for a little bit longer.

"Ow, ow! Hey Silena!" Annabeth then exclaimed. "You're going to choke me."

"Oh sorry," I said, releasing her. She then sat next to us on the couch. The entire time, Annabeth continued to look at us with those calculating eyes, trying to dissect the purpose of our visit.

"Alright, so cut to it girls."

"Cut to what?" Piper innocently asked.

"Why are you here, duh?"

"Annabeth, does everything we do have to be some sort of plot or something?" Hazel asked.

"I know you girls. When is something NOT a plot or plan for the three of you? Especially with Piper around." We smiled at her.

 _Yep, Annabeth really is smart and quite observant. Wish she could be the same about her feelings though. Ugh._

"Well, Annabeth, we just thought we would come over to hang out with you, that's all." Piper said.

"Also, maybe, if you're not busy, take you out somewhere." I added, a little grin growing on my face.

Annabeth frowned. "Take me out somewhere? What is Silena talking about!"

"Just out, that's all." Piper slyly shrugged.

"A little pre-Thanksgiving hangout between good friends if you will!" Hazel continued, smiling.

Annabeth looked at us in annoyance."Really guys? Are you serious? I just wanted to relax at home today!"

"Oh come on Annabeth! What are you going to do the whole rest of the day, huh?" I asked her.

"You know, you all just interrupted a really good documentary I was watching on Thanksgiving history." Annabeth mumbled.

I laughed. "Annabeth, come on! We're your friends! We wanted to hang with you. What's the harm in that?"

She gave us all a fierce look. "You girls aren't going to stop until I say yes, right?" she asked. We all nodded our heads in agreement. She then groaned. "Ugh, fine. Let me just get changed." The three of us cheered and high fived as Annabeth went into her room, mumbling to herself about how her friends always pestered her.

A few minutes later, Annabeth got out of her room. She had changed into some blue denim jeans. She had on a black North Face fall jacket. Her blond hair was tied back in a simple ponytail.

She looked good, don't get me wrong. _Just not incredible._ And we weren't going to let her look just good. _Especially for Percy!_

"Oh, you can't wear just that!" Piper said, stealing my thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, first off. You're not wearing any makeup. What gives?" she said.

"Makeup? I thought we're just going to hangout girls!"

"Yeah, we are. It doesn't mean you can't look great while hanging out with your friends, right?" Piper asked. Hazel and I both nodded in agreement.

"Ugh, you're treating this like I have a date or something." Annabeth mumbled. We all gave little giggles and snickers.

 _Well, technically, you are going on a little date, my dear Annabeth. You just don't know it yet!_

"Come on, let me do your makeup and Silena do your hair." My eyes lit up when Piper mentioned my name.

"Oh, yes Annabeth! Absolutely! I'm great with hair! And you have such lovely hair I should say!" I said, smiling at her.

"No." Annabeth flatly responded.

"Pretty please" Piper and I pleaded.

"No and no." she responded again.

"Oh pleeeaaasseee Annabeth. Come on Annie!" we then said. Annabeth glared at us. She was really annoyed by our antics. Especially calling her Annie. We tried calling her that a couple of times before only to get fierce stares. _She really hates that nickname._ "Ugh, fine girls but make it quick!" We then went into her room and went to work. Piper began on Annabeth's lips, working her way to her eyes and cheeks. I began using Annabeth's curler and shaping her hair into a nice, pretty twisted crown braid. The entire time, Annabeth had an annoyed look on her face. It was clear she was NOT a fashion person at all.

And honestly, Annabeth didn't need to be; her hair and looks were amazing as they were. I was pretty jealous.

 _No wonder Percy finds this girl attractive._

After we were done, we took a while to admire her. Piper had done an amazing job with the makeup. She had used some face blush that helped to emphasize Annabeth's natural cheekbones. Piper also used some purple eyeshadow on Annabeth's eyes, which helped to turn her eyes from cute to seriously pretty. She had also used some bright red lipstick that showed off her absolutely gorgeous lips. Coupled with her beautiful hair, she looked amazing.

Annabeth looked at herself in the mirror. She was pretty taken aback by what she saw. "What in the name of Hades did you girls do to me?" she exclaimed.

"Made you look like an angel. You're welcome by the way." I said smiling widely.

"Angel. More like a princess!" Piper continued, giggling. "You are now officially Miss Princess my dear Annabeth!" Annabeth blushed and shook her head.

"I. Hate. You. Girls."

"And we love you Annabeth." I responded, giving her a hug.

Ok, now she was DEFINITELY ready to see Percy.

* * *

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

My friends are so weird.

First, they come unannounced to my place. Next, they force me to come with them to an undisclosed location. Finally, they insist that they do my hair and makeup. I end up looking like I'm going to a wedding or something.

I seriously hope this place we're going to was worth it.

On board the train, I began to question them.

"Care to share some hints on where we're going?" I asked them.

"Annabeth, we would, but you would get it right away. Plus, it's a surprise! Don't you like surprises?" Silena asked.

"Yes, I do. But hints would be welcome."

"Come on Annabeth. Carpe Diem! Live in the moment!" Piper exclaimed.

"First, that expression is WAY overused. Second, it's easy for you to say that when you know already what's going to happen." I told them.

"Annabeth, honestly, you worry WAY too much!" Hazel said laughing and playfully hitting me on the shoulder.

Before I knew it, we arrived at our stop. As we stepped out, I began to look around. _Wait, I know this stop! 81st street. That's where the Museum of Natural History is! What..what are we doing here?_

"The AMNH?" I took my phone out and checked the time. _Around 4:45._ "Doesn't the museum close soon?"

"Yes, yes it does." Silena said, a sly smile forming on her face.

"However, it's not the only attraction around this area now." Piper casually noted, grinning.

Not the only attraction. What other attraction could there be one day prior to Thanks... _oh, oh no! They're NOT talking about…_

"I heard there's a certain Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflating event around here." Hazel declared.

"You guys!" I shouted at them. "Why the heck are we here?"

"What, isn't this a public event? Are we not allowed to come?" Piper asked.

"Yes, yes I..I know that! But..but.." I began, trying to find an excuse as to why it was an absolute crime being here.

 _Um, Percy is here!. Percy and Rachel are here!_

Shut up!

"Oh come on Annabeth, lighten up! We're just a bunch of friends wanting to see a cool event together. Hazel said.

"Besides, maybe you'll see someone you know." Silena added, her sly smile still on her face. I glared at her. _Ugh, THAT'S why they all did my makeup and hair! Gods, how could I not have seen this coming?_

We made our way along Central Park West, trying to find an empty-ish section to see the balloon inflation. The entire time, I kept shooting my friends annoyed looks, to their delight of course. I also kept my eyes open for any signs Percy and Rachel.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't want to see him. It's just..Percy was with his girlfriend. I didn't..I didn't want to disturb the two. That would be..inconsiderate. Uncomfortable.

Just, no.

We then approached the corner of 79th street, which still had some empty standing spots left. My friends and I stopped. The place had a pretty good view of the event. Unfortunately, a while later, a quite large man decided to cut in front of me, completely blocking my once nice view.

 _Ugh!_ That forced me to have to immigrate to another place.

"Girls, I have to move somewhere else. Sorry!" I declared, giving the man a secret middle finger behind his back, I then went down a little further to 78th street. Unfortunately, the crowds were quite big around this area as well. I struggled to navigate and find a good place to stand. In the middle of this chaos, I accidentally bumped into a random person.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" I proclaimed turning to the person. "Please, forgive…" As I looked up to meet them face to face, my eyes widened. My body began to tense up.

 _Oh, gods._

I had just bumped into Percy.

* * *

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

Wednesday was supposed to be an Annabeth-free day. That's what I planned it as.

Then, I bumped into Annabeth on my Annabeth-free day. _Great._

I had a stunned look the whole time, as well as Annabeth. Man, it didn't help that she looked incredible today. Her blond hair was styled in a very pretty way. She had also put on some makeup, which looked way too good on her. Her pretty grey eyes looked prettier with the purple eyeshadow she used. She also used some bright red lipstick on her lips which made them look plump. Irresistible.

 _No, the words were kissable._

 _Ugh._ I began to have chilling memories of the kiss we shared.

 _Oh, gods. Please don't think about that here!_

It took me a while to realize that I was staring at Annabeth the entire time in awkward silence, not saying anything, just gawking. It took Annabeth's little comment to jolt me back to reality.

"Um, hey Percy." she slowly started.

"Oh, uh, hey Annabeth." I stammered.

"Annabeth?" I turned to my right to see Rachel. I had forgotten for a split second that she was here. "What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, just as shocked as I was.

"Um, my friends sort of dragged me here. Said it was a surprise. I had no idea we were going to go to this event." she said, laughing weakly. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Piper, who was grinning massively as she walked toward us. I cursed to myself.

 _Of course, Piper arranged this! I should've known that! Why did I even tell her about Annabeth's dad issues?_

Rachel chuckled. "Really? That sounds nice. Where are they now?"

"Um, they're around 79th street. It was crowded there so I decided to move to here." Annabeth told Rachel.

"Here I am!" Piper cheerfully beamed as she went near us. "Hey, Rachel! How are you? You gooood?" she said, her mood extremely laidback. I looked at Piper with a secret side-eye the whole time, trying to tell her I was NOT approving of her plan, whatever it was. She just gave me a little wink.

"Hey, Piper. So weird seeing you here." Rachel replied.

"Yeah, I know, right? What a coincidence!" she said in a fake shocked tone. I groaned. _Great acting job Pipes. Great job. How is anyone buying it? And this is coming from the girl whose dad worked in Hollywood!_ However, Rachel didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, you know, why don't you join us and the girls over there." Piper said, pointing to the group.

"Really? Wow, that's so nice of you! Come on Percy. Let's go." Rachel responded as she grabbed my hand.

"Actually, Rachel, we just want you to come with us."

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked, a confused expression on her. "Why?"

" I mean, there's SO much we can talk about just among us girls. Like, important..things." Piper mentioned. Her eyes and head began to nudge towards my direction.

 _They mean gossip. They're gonna gossip about our relationship. Of course._

Rachel picked up the cue. She gave a little grin. "Alright then. But, I mean, I just can't leave Percy here alone. I mean, I would be okay with if he didn't know but he's right here so..."

"I'm so glad your concern is well-founded Rachel." I muttered.

Piper and Rachel laughed. Annabeth gave a little smile at my joke. However, she clearly was uncomfortable with the situation Piper put her in like I was. Piper finally said. "You know what, Annabeth can keep Percy company for the time." Piper turned to her. "Right, Miss Princess?"

My eye shot up when I heard that nickname. _Miss Princess? When did Annabeth get that nickname?_

It was now Annabeth that was shooting Piper a glare. Piper continued to smile, probably pleased with how her plan was turning out. Realizing that Piper would not let up, Annabeth gave a little sigh.

"Yeah, I'll keep Percy here company while you two girls go hang out. Why not?"

"Great! Thanks SO much Annabeth! I'll see you both later. Come on Rachel!" Piper declared, grabbing her hand and making her way hurriedly down the street, leaving Annabeth and me alone.

Despite feeling a bit awkward around Annabeth, I couldn't help but address the new nickname controversy. _Miss Princess? Beautiful Wise Girl is a much better name I think personally._

"Miss Princess?" I started, turning to Annabeth. She refused to meet my eyes.

"Don't even talk about it, Seaweed Brain."

I gave a little laugh. "I mean, the nickname does suit you. I do prefer the other nickname though. Beautiful Wise Girl." I snickered. Though she looked annoyed, Annabeth's face eased up when I mentioned the nickname. I've noticed that it always had that kind of effect on her.

Annabeth then turned to me. She let out a big sigh. "Percy, look, I..I didn't mean to come. My friends just dragged me here. I had no idea. I..I don't want to intrude on you and Rachel's relationship. You don't have to keep me company. That's fine."

"Annabeth, what are you talking about?"

"I want to keep my space between the two of you. I know you planned this as a two-only date. I don't want to make you feel..uncomfortable." she slowly said.

As Annabeth made these assertions, I couldn't help but let out a little chuckle and sigh. It reminded me of how I would act and speak when I was around Annabeth and Luke.

 _Weird._

"I mean, to be fair, it was Piper who intruded. You were just an unknowing accomplice." I said, which made her grin a bit. "Besides, knowing the girls, they will continue talking about gods know what for the next hour. At least I have someone to keep me company for the time being."

A small smile began to appear on Annabeth's lip.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

My rational part of me was saying no. I was supposed to be spending time with Rachel at this event. NOT with Annabeth! Spending more time with her would only make my feelings intensify.

However, the other part of me was rejoicing at the prospect of spending time with Annabeth. I REALLY wanted to spend time with her, especially before Thanksgiving. I liked being with Annabeth. We had always wanted to experience this event together.

Now, we had a chance to do it.

"Come on Miss Princess." I finally declared, grinning, trying to get used to Annabeth's nickname. "Let's find a good spot to see these floats. There are some awesome ones I heard."

* * *

 **Instincts**

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

"Oh, look at that, they're inflating the Buzz Lightyear balloon!" Percy exclaimed. For the next half hour, Percy and I looked in awe as the parade organizers were inflating the balloons. From Spongebob to Snoopy balloons, there were so many of them. It was awesome!

 _Man, I forgot how much fun spending time with Percy was!_

I looked at Percy and smiled as I took notice of what he said. "Oh man. I LOVE Toy Story! I remember watching the second movie over and over as a child. Such a great movie!" I said clapping and getting excited.

Percy flashed his sarcastic grin and laughed, clearly amused by my childlike excitement. "Same! Toy Story 2 is still one of my top 5 favorite Pixar Movies of all time! Of course, Finding Nemo is THE best Pixar Movie, no doubt about it.

I looked at Percy and scoffed at him. "Really? Finding Nemo? It's a good movie, not going to lie. But I love Monsters Inc! Such an incredible movie."

"Yeah, Monster's Inc is great. But Finding Nemo is a childhood CLASSIC Annabeth. You can't top that!

I gave Percy a side-eye. "Hey, Monsters Inc is a classic as well! You just like it because of all the fish." I joked.

"So what if that's true? Still a great movie," he responded which made me roll my eyes.

"Monster's Inc has a great storyline Percy. I love how they show Mike and Boo's relationship grew to the point of friendship and kinship. I always cry at the end when Mike tucks Boo in her bed and hugs her goodbye."

Percy smiled. "Yeah, that's a great scene from the movie."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, it is. It..it reminds me of when I was younger, my dad used to always tuck me in and kiss me goodnight before I went to sleep." My voice trailed off at the end when I said the word dad. "I..I miss that," I slowly said, my voice getting sad.

Percy noticed it. He then took a deep breath. "Annabeth." he slowly asked. "I hate to ask you this but I need to know. Is your dad coming over for Thanksgiving?"

I looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet Percy's eyes. My mood soured. "No..no he's not. I didn't invite him." I murmured. Percy let out a soft sigh and put his hands on my shoulder.

"Annabeth, why didn't you?"

"I just, I didn't want to Percy," I said, still not meeting his eyes.

"Annabeth, that's not a good answer." he commented.

"I..I don't need a good one! I just didn't want to!" I quickly shot back.

"Annabeth. He's your dad! He cares for you. You know that! You should've asked him to come."

"Hey, who are you to judge what I do? And why do you care about this so much, huh?" I asked, looking at Percy, getting angry. I wasn't trying to be angry at Percy I don't know, I just felt myself getting angry in general. "You have a girlfriend already! You should be worrying about her, not me!" I exclaimed, trying to change the topic of conversation.

Percy didn't say anything. Maybe it was just me but he looked almost..pained when I said that. However, I continued. "You're worrying too much Percy. Just stop doing that! Please. Just stop it. You'll burden yourself."

Percy shook his head, almost as if he was in a daze before. "Annabeth, I'm not going to do that because I know how much your dad means to you. You love him a lot, even if you don't want to admit. I know you're really hurt still by the incident."

I snapped immediately when Percy told me I was hurt. "PERCY LOOK JUST LEAVE THIS ISSUE THE FUCK ALONE, OKAY! PLEASE!" I screamed. At that moment, there were some tears coming from my eyes. I was breathing hard.

 _I can't still be hurt by this incident still! It happened a month ago_!

"I'm not hurt Percy. I'm not! Just..leave me alone! " I cried out, trying to hide my face. However, at the same time, I felt a massive ache and hole form in my heart.

 _Percy .. Percy is right. I am still hurt by my dad._

I then started to sob.

* * *

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

"LEAVE THIS ISSUE THE FUCK ALONE!" Annabeth yelled at me.

I should have left it at that. Like Annabeth told me, I had a girlfriend already. Why did I have to care for her a lot?

 _Stop worrying about me_ Annabeth had said. _You'll burden yourself._ _You have Rachel already. Annabeth will always be a friend to you and she'll see you as nothing else! Just admit it._

I wanted to go right then and there. I had an urge to go get Rachel and get out of here, forgetting Annabeth altogether. However, I began to replay what Piper told me in the hallway.

Y _ou're not going to stop caring for her Percy. It's part of your instincts. Even if you're not together, you'll still worry and care. That's why you love her._

She was wrong! She had to be wrong!

Yet, as I saw Annabeth broken down into tears, hurt by her dad, I started to slowly, yet begrudgingly, accept what Piper told me. Seeing Annabeth to the point of hurt and sadness jolted me. It made something inside me feel sad and hurt. I hated seeing her so broken down. It absolutely pained me.

 _That's the part of_ _you love that loves Annabeth_ Piper's voice was echoing in my head.

I wanted to get rid of these feelings SO badly! _But, I can't._ I could never get rid of it. No matter what. I'll always worry and care for Annabeth.

 _It's part of my instincts._

Annabeth continued to cry as I had these thoughts. I was shaken back to reality. I then slowly took Annabeth's hand while she was still crying and made way to a secluded bench nearby, away from the event and noise. I slowly sat down.

"Annabeth sit with me please." I softly said. Annabeth slowly did so. I looked at her hair, which was once beautifully curled, now a tangled mess. Her eyes were puffy from crying. Annabeth looked awful.

I then softly used my left hand to move the strands of hair away from her face. I used my other hand to wipe off the tears from under her eyes and cheeks. Annabeth seemed so delicate and fragile as I touched her face.

I then put my arms around Annabeth, easing her to rest her head on my shoulder. I softly went to her ear and started to speak.

"Annabeth, it's okay. Just let out all your crying. Just do it. I know you love your dad a lot. I know you miss him a lot. And I know he hurt you a lot. That's alright to admit." I whispered.

 _I needed to make her feel better. I just needed to._

* * *

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

"Annabeth, it's okay. Just let out all your crying."

I did just that as I laid my head on Percy's shoulders, continuing to sob. For the past month, I had been penting up all my fear, anger, sadness, and so many other emotions inside me, trying to tell myself that it was okay. I was perfectly fine. My father canceling his visit with me twice didn't hurt. It didn't.

However, as I cried on Percy's shoulder, I realized that was a lie. Percy was right. I was hurt. I was sad. I missed my dad. I do love my dad, still.

 _The problem is he might not love me._ And that idea made me pained.

After what seemed like forever, I slowly lifted my head up and looked at Percy. He didn't say anything. For the next minutes, he used his hands to move the strands of hair covering my face. He also began to wipe away some tears from under my eyes and on my cheeks.

I felt my skin tingle at his every touch. My goodness, Percy's hands were so soft and gentle. They felt so comforting and warm. It was incredible how focused he was on me.

After studying my face for a little longer, Percy gave me a little grin.

"You know, I already told you this but you're really beautiful. Especially today." he said smiling at me.

Despite feeling like absolute shit still, I couldn't help but smile and giggle at Percy's compliment, looking up at Percy. "Still? Even after I was crying a lot?"

"Still. Annabeth, you always look beautiful. That's a fact."

My smile widened. Percy once told me he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world. I was absolutely touched and flattered by those words.

 _But he can't keep saying that. He has Rachel!_ "Percy, you have a girlfriend already! You can't keep calling me beautiful." I said. I half meant it though.

"Well, I'm not exactly good at following directions am I?" he responded grinning. "And like I said, what I say is TRUE, Miss Princess. You are beautiful," he said putting a lot of emphasis on the _princess_ part.

I quivered a bit at the way he said princess. _It sounds so lovely_. "Are you going to keep calling me that? Miss Princess?".

"Well, you DO look like a princess today. Piper is right. Goodness, have you heard of something called a mirror? You should really check it out!" Percy stated giving me a little playful poke on the nose. I giggled like a little girl when he did that.

"You're being too nice, Percy." I slowly answered, smiling at him.

"No, it's true. You are a princess, my dear Annabeth. That's why I don't like it when the princess keeps crying. It hurts me seeing that." he said, his expression dampening.

Though I rolled my eyes at the corniness of Percy's words, I couldn't help but beam. _The princess._ He was referring to me! I was the princess! The little girl part of me again felt giddy at the moment. Percy's expression then turned serious. He looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Please, Annabeth, just tell me. Tell me please what's happening with you and your dad now."

I raised my head up from his shoulders and looked at him. I didn't want to tell Percy. I really didn't. But Percy was the only person I could ever talk about my feelings to. He was the only person I trusted. He was the only person that really cared for me.

 _He also said he felt pain when I was hurt._

And I knew he was being honest when he said that.

"Percy, I didn't ask my dad to come to Thanksgiving. I didn't want to. I was afraid. Afraid of being told no again. Afraid of being rejected. Afraid of my dad hurting me again. I do love him Percy. A lot. You're right. I can't say that I don't. The fact that I feel like he doesn't love me back absolutely hurts. It hurts a lot. And that's why I feel like shit now."

Percy didn't say anything. He just nodded his head slowly. He allowed me to rest my head again on his shoulders, which I gladly accepted as I stifled back some more sobs. He also put his arms around me, comforting me. His embrace felt warm and relieving. We stayed like that in silence for the next few minutes.

At last, Percy asked. "Did you at least send your dad something that told him what you feel about him?"

"N..no, I didn't. This was the first time I've told anyone my true feelings about my dad." I told Percy. That was true. I didn't even tell Samantha this.

"Well, you should write a letter or email. Just be honest and tell your dad how much he means to you like you told me."

"That's easy for you to say. You're easy to talk to. I'm more open to you than my dad." I said. It was weird to say but it was true.

Percy gave a little smile. "And I want you to continue to be like that, okay? Remember that I'm always open to your problems. No matter what." I smiled at him. He then looked at his seashell watch.

 _6 pm._

"Well, my little Princess, we should get back to the event. There are some more balloon inflations left. I think the Princess is going to be VERY excited for that." Percy teased, giving me another playful poke on the nose, making me giggle again.

 _Gods, why do I like it when he pokes my nose? Also, is that princess name growing on me? No..no it's not!_

Percy then got up and grabbed my hand as we were about to head back to the event. Before we left, I decided to joke a bit about this new nickname thing.

"Little Princess? What happened to Beautiful Wise Girl?"

Percy shrugged. "Up to you what you want me to call you. Both names suit you well."

"How about... you call me both?" I teased. Secretly, though, I did want that.

"Whatever you want my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl." he said grinning. "You know, I just made up a new third nickname. I'll call you that from now on!" I blushed and nudged him on the shoulder.

"That's WAY too long Seaweed Brain"

"No, it's not. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. I just said it like three times. No biggie." he shrugged. I kept blushing as he repeated the nickname and punched Percy, though a more soft and playful punch than normal.

"Come on, let's just go Seaweed Brain." I said, smiling widely as we went back towards the event.

"Alright Beautiful Princess Wise Girl." Percy responded grabbing my hand.

I blushed again.

 _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl._

That's an interesting new nickname.

* * *

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

On the way home from the event, on the subway, I heard the sound of my phone go ding. I picked it up.

It was a text from Piper.

 _Piper: Well, how were you and Annabeth's day?_

I gave a little smirk. _Me: You set this up, didn't you? And, yes, today was pretty good. Even I have to admit that to the lovely Pipes._

Piper sent back a smiley face emoji. She then texted. _Piper: You're very much welcome for that. You know, you should ask for my help more often maybe._

 _Me: Don't get carried away Piper._

 _Piper: Least I tried. By the way, is Annabeth's dad coming for Thanksgiving?_

I stared at the text message. The answer was no obviously. He wasn't going to come.

However, I replayed what occurred during the day. I remember seeing how hurt and sad Annabeth had been about her dad, seeing her cry on my shoulder. Afterward, I tried comforting her, joking around.

I even gave Annabeth a new nickname; _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl_ (admittedly a bit long and corny, I know). She had been giggling and laughing though, all to my joy and amusement.

 _I like seeing Annabeth happy. It made me happy._

An idea began to form in my head.

 _Me: Yes, yes he is. Piper, are you free tomorrow by any chance?_ There was a pause in her time to respond to my text, clear confusion at where I was headed with the conversation.

 _Piper: Um, yeah. Why do you ask?_

I gave a big grin as I texted out my reply.

 _Me: Let's just say I may or may not have a plan for Annabeth's dad to come over here_.

* * *

 **Dad**

( ** _Annabeth POV)_**

"As always Samantha, you made WAY too much food for Thanksgiving."

"And as always, you're very much welcome.1" Samantha said smiling at me. I gave a little grin as I was continuing to eat some pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream while looking at all the uneaten food on the table. There was some turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and of course, my favorite, olives.

Olives are probably a must-have staple in any Annabeth-involved Thanksgiving dinner. No olives, no Annabeth.

"Seriously, we're just two people."

"Hey, the more food means the more leftovers which means the less cooking I have to do for the week. So, be prepared to have the microwave be your new best friend Annabeth."

I chuckled as I then headed to my couch. I took out my phone and began scrolling through my messages. A bunch of my friends had sent me the usual _Happy Thanksgiving_ messages to me. Luke had sent a picture of his family and him enjoying their dinner, which made me smile.

I then opened to Percy's message thread and scrolled up to the message he sent me in the morning.

 _Percy: Want to wish the Beautiful Princess Wise Girl a Happy Thanksgiving. From Seaweed Brain :P_

I felt myself get instantly warm as I read that message over and over.

 _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl._

It was such a long and cheesy nickname that Percy gave me. But I like long and cheesy. It's kind of cute. I can't help but smile and get giddy every time he uses it.

I then decided to text Percy.

 _Me: Hey Seaweed Brain!_

 _Percy: My Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. What's up?_

I smiled widely _. Me: You seriously going to keep typing that nickname over and over when we text?_

 _Percy: You know, I already made a text shortcut so I don't have to keep retyping it. Here, I'll show you. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. Beautiful.._

I blushed again. I stopped Percy mid-text.

 _Me: Stop it. Ugh, you're going to make me sick._

 _Percy: Haha. Whatever you say Beautiful Princess Wise Girl._ I rolled my eyes.

 _Me: So, how's your Thanksgiving been?_

 _Percy: Pretty good. My mom made some blue pumpkin pie for me._

 _Me: Blue pumpkin pie? Wow, I knew your mom liked making all your food blue but even I didn't know that was possible._

 _Percy: Neither did I until today._

I chuckled.

 _Percy: So, how about you? How's your Thanksgiving?_

 _Me: It was good. Still a little sad that my dad isn't here but it's ok. Samantha made a lot of food which is great._

 _Percy: Oh, I see. Well, hope there is still some more food for me and Pipes then._

I stared at the text message for a while. I then laughed out loud.

 _Me: Haha, very funny Seaweed Brain. What are you talking about?_

 _Percy: No, I'm serious. Look out your window Beautiful Princess Wise Girl._

I put my phone down and looked out. I peered down. Outside, there was a car. Standing out was Percy. He was looking up at my window, grinning and waving.

 _What the.._

I then headed out my apartment and down the stairs. I made my way towards the car to see a still smiling Percy.

"Hey Beautiful Princess Wise Girl." he said, flashing me his sarcastic smile.

"Percy?! What the..what are you..WHAT?" I exclaimed.

"How are you?" he plainly responded

"What are you doing here!" I said, still stunned.

"Well, the lovely Pipes and I were just strolling through the neighborhood. Thought we might drop by to say hello, that's all."

"How..why..WHAT?" I said. I was about to continue my incoherent line of questioning when all of a sudden, a person stepped out of the car. He was still speaking.

"I must say, Miss Piper. New York has changed quite a bit since I've last been here. The new development and construction that is overtaking Hudson Yards are quite fascinating, though long overdue I must say. You know, that place used to be..." The person had a British-American accent to him. But, it was quite clear that this man was originally American as he said some words in a clear American way.

"Oh, that's nice." Piper noted. She looked disinterested in the history lecture that the man was giving. She then got out of the car after the person. However, when Piper saw me, a big smile formed on her face.

The man then took a while to appreciate his surroundings. "Wow, this neighborhood is still as beautiful as it was when I've last been here! You know, I'm so sorry if I'm coming across as didactic but Brooklyn Heights…" I studied the man for a while. He had the same blond hair as me and brown eyes. He was wearing a brown plaid suit and some brown plaid pants that looked like they were from the 50s. There was a carry on luggage in his left hand, a suitcase in the other.

 _No, that's not. It couldn't. That's not my..._

"D..D..Dad?"

My father turned towards me. He gave a big smile.

"Annabeth.."

"D..D..Dad?" I repeated, still not believing what I was seeing. My voice was cracking as well.

"Yes, yes, Annabeth. It's me dear. Your dad." he said. There were some tears forming in his eyes as he continued.

"No. It can't be! How did you.."

My dad cut me off. "Annabeth, what other person do you know wears suits that look like they were brought from the thrift shop?" he asked grinning.

"DAD!" I exclaimed as I ran towards him. I tackled him in a big hug as I embraced him. I was tearing up, my face resting on his chest as dad hugged me back tightly.

I hadn't hugged my dad in SO long. I had flashbacks to when I was younger, when my dad would hug me goodnight before I went to bed. I was overtaken with emotion.

Dad turned to study my face, giving a little kiss on my forehead. "Annabeth, my goodness. You've grown so much dear! And still, you're maintaining great grades in school from what I heard! I'm so proud of you."

"Really? How do you know!" I asked, turning to Percy. My face was in a wide smile. Percy was blushing.

"Um, I mean, the topic of your grades went up in our conversations. So I had to make mention of it."

"Well, what are we doing out here? Let's go inside and eat! It is Thanksgiving after all! Although, of course, I would take note of the history between the Natives and the Pilgrims that wasn't as pleasant as some people would like to suggest or believe…"

"Dad!" I said as he was going off into another history lecture tangent. I wanted to look annoyed but I wasn't.

 _My dad being his usual history-loving self._

I really came to miss that.

And now, he was here.

* * *

 **I love him**

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

I don't think I ever had a better Thanksgiving Dinner than the one that night.

We were all laughing and eating as we sat on the couch in the living room (my apartment is way too small for a full dining room), enjoying Samantha's cooking. After finishing his 3rd plate of turkey and mash potatoes, my dad looked over at Samantha.

"I have to say Samantha. I'm so glad I hired you to take care of my daughter. Now I know for sure she's getting a wonderful meal each and every night."

Samantha smiled. "Mr. Chase, you're way too kind sir." As the two continued to converse, the whole time, I couldn't stop smiling, especially at Percy. I was so overwhelmed.

 _How did he do it? How did he freaking do it!_ I decided to put that question to the forefront of the discussion.

"Guys, I need to know how the heck you were able to do..all THIS!" I asked.

My dad, who was sitting next to me, looked over and smiled. "Well, the credit lies with Mr. Jackson I should note. I merely got an email from him inquiring if I could come. Thank goodness I was working late that day in my office and was checking my work mail."

I took a glance at Percy. He gave a nonchalant shrug. "I just looked up your dad's contact information on Google. Saw he had a work email. Decided to write him an email telling your dad what you said to me yesterday at the balloon event."

"I..I was very touched by the words Annabeth. I immediately went to go pack up and booked the next available flight to New York. Mind you, it was quite expensive. But I didn't care at all. I had to see my only daughter." My dad then grabbed my hand and looked at me.

"Annabeth, my dear, I don't know if you could forgive me for the past two incidents. I have a lot of explaining to do that I will definitely get to. But you need to know that I still love you very very much. No matter what. Whenever I'm away, at work, anywhere, I always think of you." he softly said tearing up a bit.

I went over to give dad a big hug. "Dad, I..I forgive you. I could never stay too angry at you for long. Percy helped me realize that." I said looking at him, smiling. "The point is you're here. I..I still love you a lot too. You should know that as well." My dad smiled back and returned my hug.

I turned to Percy. My eyes started to water. "Percy..I..I don't know how I can thank you for this."

"Hey, the credit is not all with me. Piper helped you know?"

I turned to Piper, who had been smiling the whole time. "Well, I just helped pick up your dad at the airport with Percy, that's all."

Percy moaned. "Can I just say Pipes, you're an absolute speed demon on the highway! The fact that you still have a driver's permit is beyond shocking." he muttered which got Piper to slap him on the arm. I laughed at them.

"You..you told her about my dad issues?"

"Um, she sort of forced me. Sorry."

Piper put her hands up. "I plead guilty."

I wanted to look angry at them but I couldn't. I really couldn't. I was feeling so happy. Happy I had my dad there. Happy I had my friends.

 _Happy I had Percy._

* * *

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

Piper and Percy continued to stay for a little while longer at my place. Eventually, the two had to leave early as Percy promised Rachel he would come to her place during Thanksgiving. Piper had planned to go over to Jason's place.

I was disappointed and didn't make that fact hidden. I really wanted Percy to stay.

I escorted the two outside my apartment to where Piper parked her car. As she got into the driver's seat, about to turn the engine on, I turned to Percy

"Percy, again, I..I don't know how to thank you for this. I..I really don't."

Percy flashed me a grin. "Hey, no need to thank me. Just trying to make you feel better, that's all."

I smiled. "You always know how to make me feel better. Every. Single. Time. It's getting annoying almost." I joked.

"Well, expect that annoyingness to continue my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl."

I laughed out loud and giggled. _Again, that nickname. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. I'm starting to love it actually!_ Suddenly, I leaned over to Percy and gave him a kiss on the cheeks.

Now, I've kissed Percy on the cheeks a couple of times before. Some of them as a joke and some to show that I care for him.

This kiss, though, felt different. Extremely different. _Physically and emotionally_. I let my lips linger on Percy's cheeks for a little longer. I felt my body tingling. My insides began warming up as I kissed Percy. My heart began to beat faster, breaking a little. I may have been sighing and moaning a bit, embarrassingly. I felt euphoric, jubilant like I had just eaten some ambrosia.

I just felt..great.

 _What am I feeling?_

My brain then began to have a flashback to Six Flags where I kissed Percy on the lips. I forced my brain to shake that thought though. I let my lips let go of Percy. However, it was not before kissing him for what like an eternity. I think I might have been moaning and pouting a bit still. _Stop doing that!_ Percy had a stunned look on his face as he looked at me, trying to process what happened.

"Um, g..goodnight Seaweed Brain." I said, trying to break the tension, giving Percy a little smile.

"Um, g..goodnight my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl," Percy replied, giving an awkward grin as I headed back inside, my mind still on the kiss.

* * *

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

As I entered the passenger's side of the car, I was greeted to the sight of Piper, who was grinning massively.

"OH. MY. GODS! YOU TWO KISSED! I SAW THE WHOLE THING! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREAKING INCREDIBLE!"

I had a red look on my face. "Piper! You saw that? I thought these car windows were tinted!"

"Yeah, from the outside. Not inside. Duh."

I cursed to myself. _Of course! Idiot._ "Hey, first off Pipes, Annabeth kissed me on the cheeks. THE CHEEKS! Not..not the lips," I said.

 _Of course, we did kiss each other on the lips. Before._

I cleared that thought and continued. "Besides, I've kissed her on the cheeks times before and vice versa."

"Oh, you kissed her before? I never knew that! Aww, that's even cuter!" she said clapping her hands together happily.

"Piper!"

"You also called her a nickname right? _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl?_ " she said in a playful and teasing manner. "That's SO beautiful and sweet. Wish Jason did the same thing."

I got more red. "That was just..it's only a .. Piper you need to stop intruding on other people's personal conversations!" I managed.

She ignored my complaints and looked at me. "Honestly, Percy, you need to ask Annabeth out! Ask her out! Ask her out!" she started chanting repeatedly.

"Pipes, I have Rachel already. She's with Luke. Don't know if you know that."

Piper sighed. "Percy, why are you so afraid to ask her out? After all, you've done for her? ESPECIALLY this? How can she turn you down!"

I thought about what she said. _After all you've done for her, how can she turn you down?_ Maybe that was true. I had done a lot for Annabeth and I had never wanted/expected anything in return.

However, still, a part of me was hesitant in asking her out. I..I couldn't. I was scared. Scared she would say no. Scared she may not have feelings back. Just, afraid that Annabeth would never look at me the same again if I revealed my feelings for her.

 _Especially if she didn't return them._

"Look Piper. Annabeth and I are best friends still. That's enough for me. She's happy now. If she's happy, I'm happy, alright?"

"You know, she's been pretty gloomy ever since you started spending more time with Rachel this week. I wouldn't necessarily call that happy." Piper mentioned.

I looked at her. "She..she has?" _Why would Annabeth be gloomy? Unless she's..no. It's just, we like spending time together. That's normal. I like spending time with her too_!

"Piper, we just like spending time with each other! That's all. I'll spend more time with her from now on! Problem fixed!"

Piper then let out a frustrated moan and glared at me. "Ugh, honestly! You and Annabeth have such freaking complex feelings! It's so annoying! You like each other! You just do! Stop denying it both of you!"

"Piper, can you just start driving, okay? Just drive and stop with this talk please!" I yelled. Piper looked at me sympathetically for while. She then shook her head, still clearly frustrated, and started to drive. There was silence the rest of the time.

Come on Piper. I'm happy. I have Rachel. That's enough! I feel great! Just incredible! Just _..ok is it just me or is the voice inside my head now talking really loudly._

 _You sound like Annabeth_ Piper's voice was saying.

Stop it Piper!

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Back inside, I went in to find my dad sprawled out on the living room couch. He had his laptop out, doing some work it seemed. However, as soon as dad saw me enter, he put his laptop down and smiled.

"Hey Annabeth sweetie, come sit here with me." dad asked, patting the empty space next to him.

I gave a smile back. "Ok dad," I said as I walked towards him and sat down. I rested my head against him as he put his arms around me. He turned the tv on to the National Geographic Channel, one of our favorites, as we silently watched a documentary together, my dad continuing to softly caress my head. Eventually, he broke the silence.

"Annabeth, I'm..I'm sorry if this is weird for me to ask. But is that Mr. Jackson kid over there your ..your boyfriend? I'm..I'm not opposed to you having a boyfriend, don't get me wrong. It's just, as a dad, I think I should be aware of these types of things. At least, that's what I've been told by my fellow colleagues who have daughters."

I got off my dad and faced him, red. "Dad! He's not my .. my boyfriend! Percy's just a really good friend. My best friend actually. That's it!" I stammered. However, my mind was going back to the kiss we had outside and how I really liked it.

My dad shot me a quizzical look. "Really? Wow, I'm..I'm surprised. I mean, mind you, he took the initiative to contact me all the way in London and arrange a pick up at JFK airport. He also told me that he was the only person you disclosed your personal feelings of me with."

"I mean, yeah, Percy's really sweet dad. He cares a lot about me. And I care a lot about him too. I..I trust him with that stuff."

My dad smiled. "That's awfully sweet of him. I'm glad there is someone out there who cares a lot about my little Annabeth," dad said as he gave my face a little pinch making me giggle. "You know, I..I really like that Jackson person. A very nice looking young man. Very sweet. A nice sense of self-deprecating humor, which I appreciate as a Brit. Just a shame he isn't too fascinated with the intricacies of war history. We could've been great friends!"

I rolled my eyes at my dad. "Dad, can we please stop talking about my friend, please. And his name is Percy mind you!" My dad laughed as we resumed watching our documentary.

Wow, it seemed like my dad liked Percy a lot. And, I mean, I like Percy a lot too. Especially after this wonderful surprise, he did for me, I like him a lot-lot more.

Why is it even a question if someone likes Percy? I mean, how could someone NOT like Percy? He's amazing! Awesome. Caring. Sweet. Goofy. Admittedly, annoying at times but tolerable enough.

You also have to admit he is good-looking. _Really attractive actually._ So that's something he has going for him.

He's just..great. I really really love him.

I love Percy .. a lot.

* * *

 **Lots of Percabeth moments in those chapter, which is always great. Also, m** **an, was that not an incredible Thanksgiving Day surprise by Percy to Annabeth? Like Annabeth said, Percy always seems to know how to make her happy. That's so awesome :D**

 **We also see in this chapter Percy's failed attempts to ignore and forget about Annabeth. Yet he can't. He cares way too much about her like Piper said.** ** _That's so sweet._** **It just sucks and is painful Percy's afraid to ask Annabeth out.** ** _Why?!_**

 **Also, let's all take a moment to appreciate both Piper's insightfulness on Percabeth and her great plotting/planning skills. (Also her outburst and frustration for why they don't to admit their feelings. Piper is basically all of us reading the story lol)If there's a moral to be had, always be wary of a Piper plot. Always.**

 **Further, Annabeth's feelings for Percy seem to be growing more and more to the point of attraction and romance. When she kisses him on the cheek, she asks why she's having these "feelings" inside of her of joy/happiness (PS Annabeth you're feeling that because you like Percy. You like him! Just saying...) She states he loves him at the end, a lot, although Annabeth would contend that it's just a friend to friend love. Because she's Annabeth. Of course she would say that.**

 **As always, hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and please follow/fav/and leave a review! Also, anyone has thoughts on Percy's new nickname for Annabeth?** ** _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl_** **. Quite a mouthful, indeed. Kind of cheesy as well. But it's so cute. I love it and I feel like it's SO Percy.**

 **Guys take some tips ;)**

 ** _PS: I wanted to respond to Reading Reader's question about whether or not Thalia would appear. I'll just spoil it; yes, she's coming. However, not yet. She's going to appear though. That's all I can say for now. I may or may not also bring other PJO characters in. So, look forward to that!_**

 **Again, thanks for reading and leave a review/follow if you can!**


	10. Chapter 10- Hurt

**Hello there ;D.**

 **Well, we continue where we left off last chapter in the aftermath of Percy's awesome surprise for Annabeth on Thanksgiving. Admittedly, things have cooled down a bit. However, things are going to start heating up again. These chapters are meant to be building up to that point and develop. I personally do emphasize a lot of plot and character development, if you haven't realized ;)**

 **Anyways, here's the chapter! Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Hurt**

 **Payback**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

I forgot how much I missed my dad.

In his weekend stay in New York, we went to as many attractions as we possibly could in the city. As a surprise, dad had bought tickets for two to see the critically acclaimed Broadway show _Hamilton._ I was absolutely shocked and stoked. The show was, as expected, incredible. I think I was still humming some of the rap songs to myself after departing the theater.

However, dad kept complaining during the intermissions how historically inaccurate the show was.

"Don't get me wrong Annabeth. The performances were all incredible and top notch! However, these historical inaccuracies are _really_ getting under my skin. Like, the portrayal of the Burr-Hamilton rivalry! It's not as black and white as they make it out to be!"

"Dad! It's a Broadway show! What did you expect? They're going to dramatize parts of Hamilton's life of course!"

"Yes dear but still. Someone as influential and prominent as Hamilton deserves more accurate historical portrayals! Also, people are going to come away with a negative perception of Burr. Poor Aaron Burr. He was one of few politicians who advocated for an end to slavery, increased voting rights..."

"Dad, please, let's just enjoy the show!" I moaned again as I cut him off, though I was more amused than actually annoyed.

 _Dad is just being dad again._

I really missed that a lot.

In addition, we went sightseeing to some of my favorite places in New York. Grand Central Terminal, the New York Public Library at 42nd street, and the top observation deck of the Empire State Building, where we got an amazing view of mid-town New York.

Finally, for dinner, bacon cheeseburgers at my number one New York burger joint, P.J Clarke's!

Everything was awesome.

Unfortunately, dad had to leave Sunday night to get back to Britain for work. I was sad, of course. However, I was able to spend some quality time with him over Thanksgiving weekend.

And I was grateful for that.

The night before his flight, dad came into my room to kiss me goodnight. As dad started to tuck me in bed, I told him, "Dad, I'm way too old for you to tuck me in bed you know?"

Dad smiled. "Annabeth, my dear, you'll always be my little girl. So naturally, I will always treat you as such. Besides," he said as dad softly kissed me on my forehead, "I missed doing that." his face assuming a soft expression.

I gave a smile back. "Yeah, I...I missed that to dad." Dad then sat on the edge of my bed, holding my hand for a while as we stayed that way, in silence, enjoying the moment. After a while, my father's expression turned serious. "Annabeth, I should explain what happened before. That weekend."

I looked over to him. "Dad, no, it's okay, you don't need to explain. I've forgiven you already..."

He cut me off halfway. "No. I NEED to explain myself Annabeth," He took a deep breath and began. "For the past two years, one of my very close friends and I have been working on a research project/paper together for Oxford University. _A thorough understanding of World War 1._ His name is Professor Randolph Kane. Name ring a bell to you?"

"Yeah, I...I think I remember him." I responded, having vague recollections of my dad bringing his friend over to our place for dinner one time.

"Absolutely brilliant man and a knowledgeable historian. I've known him since junior year of high school. I consider him like a brother almost. He was the one who convinced me to apply to Harvard University despite the potential financial burdens. He and your mother Annabeth helped to fund my education throughout my undergraduate and graduate years, despite my countless oppositions. However, they were both one of few people who saw potential in me. Randolph was also such a great friend. Oh, I can still remember all the restless, caffeine filled nights we would have, procrastinating for our final exams and papers." dad said, a little smile forming on his lips. My dad's brown eyes had an almost wistful look to them as he began getting nostalgic.

He continued. "Anyways, our research project was due the weekend I was going to visit you Annabeth. I had already completed my portion in preparation. It was all up to Randolph. However, at the very last minute, he got a phone call saying his wife was about to give birth to a baby daughter soon."

"Wow, that's so great for him!" I exclaimed.

"Yes! Randolph was extremely excited, as was I. For the past weeks, the only thing he could talk about when we worked was how eager he was to become a parent for the first time. Unfortunately, his wife lived all the way in Boston. And Randolph still needed to complete his part of the project."

"Oh," I said. "That's..that's terrible!"

"I know. I felt so bad for him. I can personally attest to the proud and accomplished feeling you get with learning that you're going to be a parent. That's the feeling I felt when you were born my dear." my dad said, squeezing my hand. "As a favor, I offered to complete his remaining portion of the research paper while he went back to Boston to see his wife and newborn."

"That was such a nice thing you offered him, dad!" I commented.

"Of course, Randolph refused and fought tooth and nail with me at first. That's Randolph, trying to be the bigger man. But I kept insisting it was not a problem. I..I owe him so much for what I have. It's the least I could do for him." After completing his story, my dad looked up at me, grasping my hand tighter.

"Annabeth, my love, it's okay if you're still angry at me for the incident. I completely understand. I should've consulted you beforehand before offering help to my friend." I looked a while at my dad. From how he looked, I could tell that his friend Randolph meant a lot to him.

 _Like Percy means a lot to me._

Suddenly I began to think about all of the wonderful things Percy had done throughout my life. From all the favors, helping me in my times of hurt, and just being a great and awesome friend in general. I ..I honestly don't think I could've made it through middle school or high school without him.

 _I owe Percy so much._

"Dad, it's okay. I understand," I began, looking at him softly and squeezing his hand back, smiling. "You wanted to do a good friend a really wonderful and thoughtful favor. I can tell how much Randolph means to you. And that's alright. I forgive you for that."

My dad looked at me, some shock on his face from my words. "Annabeth, how can you be so forgiving that easily? I thought you would be furious at me!"

"Dad, I know that feeling. To have someone that...means a lot to you." I said, Percy on my mind the entire time. "You'd wanna do anything for them. You love and care for them a lot."

My dad's shock look eased up. He then smiled at me. "Annabeth, you're so mature my dear. I..I'm so proud. Sometimes, I forget how awesome and lucky I am to have a daughter like you." he declared as he went to give me a big hug.

After a while, my dad then exclaimed. "Annabeth, oh my goodness! I almost forgot! I have something to give for you."

My eyes widened. "What, you do? You didn't have to get me something dad!"

"Nonsense my dear. Just let me go get it first, alright? You stay here!" He then went out towards the living room. After a while, he came back. In his hands was a gift box with some red and white Christmas-themed wrapping. Dad then handed it to me.

"Annabeth, unfortunately, I don't think I can come over again for Christmas. I'm so sorry. I already promised your stepbrothers Bobby and Matthew that I would take them ice skating at Somerset House in London. " My expression dampened as he said that.

My dad noticed it. He put his hand on my shoulder and quickly added. "However, I have an early Christmas present for you! I have a feeling you'll love it. Come on, open it up!" At his request, I started to rip open the gift wrapping, eager to see what my present was.

"Is it.. some new clothes?" I asked continuing to tear apart the wrapping.

"Nope." he flatly stated.

"How about some souvenirs from your trips around the world?"

"No as well. Though I do have some awesome things I have to share with you."

"A war history textbook? It looks like it could be one." I joked.

"Goodness Annabeth no! Who do you think I am?" he cried out, shaking his head at me in disgust as I laughed. After a while, I finally was able to take the wrapping off. I gasped out loud as I saw what my gift was. It was a brown leather sketching book! It had my name already on the front. I opened it up and felt the sketching paper, it was of extremely high quality. In addition, my dad had also included some sketching utensils and tools, all of which were of professional quality.

It..it was beautiful. I loved it.

"Dad, it's..it's wonderful!"

Dad smiled. "Anything for you my dear. Now, of course, there are some stipulations that come with the gift. For one, I'll be expecting a new awesome building design every week emailed to me by Sunday noon."

I grinned and laughed. "Is that a homework assignment for me?"

"Well, forgive me Annabeth but I AM a professor at an elite, world-renown university. So the inclination to levy hard assignments on my fellow students is an unfortunate habit. However, I'm sure you're up to the task, aren't you?" he said, grinning, giving me a little nudge on the stomach. I laughed again and went over to give my dad a big hug, this one longer than before.

 _Man, I'm going to miss him when he leaves._

After a while, dad asked. "Between Annabeth, where is your old sketchbook? I've been DYING to be able to view your sketchings again."

"It's on my desk over there dad." He got up and grabbed my sketchbook. Scooting over next to me in bed, he opened it up and began flipping through my various sketches. He had a proud look on his face as he kept looking at each one.

"I'm always astonished by how amazing these sketches are Annabeth. Such genius innovations and novel concepts! I still can't believe you were only in seventh grade when you made them! I'm..I'm sure that if your mother saw these drawings, she would be absolutely amazed and proud."

I got a bit sad at first, thinking about my mom. However, I brightened up when my dad said she would've loved it.

 _That's what I hope as well._

Flipping through the sketchbook for another few minutes, my dad glanced up at the time, just realizing it was getting late.

"My goodness. It's 12! You should get some sleep Annabeth. I'm planning to take you out for breakfast tomorrow morning. How's pancakes at Clark's with Samantha sound?" he asked.

"That sounds great! I can't wait!" I exclaimed.

"Me too." Dad went over and gave me a kiss on the forehead and put my sketchbook back on my desk. For a while, he stared at the cover, running his hands on the gold inscription of my name. Dad then chuckled. Turning to me, he asked, "Annabeth, you know, you've never told me where or who got you the sketchbook. It's one of the very few things I DON'T know about my daughter." he joked.

I got a bit defensive when my dad asked that question. I quickly replied "I..I got it from a good friend of mine dad. Not a big deal,"

I don't know why but I always was hesitant to tell people the truth about my sketchbook. Maybe it was because I was still territorial about it. Also, the fact that only Percy and I knew he gave the sketchbook as a gift to me was something I wanted to keep between the two of us. It was one of those secrets we shared, like our friendship necklace, that no one else had or knew about.

It made our friendship special and unique.

And I liked that.

My dad chuckled again after hearing my terse reply. "Still a secret huh? Well, the sketchbook is really beautiful, which is obvious. Whoever gave it to you, that person is really great."

"Yeah, he..that person is great." I stuttered, making a little word slip.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you up any longer. Good night. I love you Annabeth." dad finally stated as he turned the light off and closed my door.

"Goodnight dad. I love you to." I replied as I then laid my head on my pillow. For the next few minutes, I began to think about what dad said.

 _Well, whoever gave it to you, that person's pretty great._

Yeah, he was right. Percy is great! Awesome. Freaking amazing. For the first time, I didn't let myself suppress those thoughts in my head.

 _It was true. Percy was all of those things and more._ If it wasn't for him, I would have never gotten to see my dad for Thanksgiving.

Gods, I need to make it up to Percy! I just needed to! But, how?

 _What would Seaweed Brain like?_

* * *

 **Observations**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

"Honestly, it was the SWEETEST, AWESOMEST, MOST AMAZINGEST thing I've ever seen anyone do for someone!" Piper was exclaiming, looking at me the whole time with a big grin on her face as we were at lunch. Initially, the gang was talking about what we did over break.

Of course, when the center of attention shifted to me, Piper HAD to barge in and make note of my surprise for Annabeth.

Now, she had been going on nonstop for about 10 minutes. Being Piper, she embellished some facts and used some rather fluffy words to describe the surprise.

 _Amazingest? Yeah, I'm not the best at English but I'm pretty sure that's NOT a word._

"Hey, it wasn't anything special!" I countered, trying to diverge the conversation to another topic. "I just wrote an email to Annabeth's dad saying that she misses him and it would be nice if he could come over. That's all!"

"Dude, what are you talking about!" Grover said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You're being too humble on yourself! That was such an awesome you did for her! I'm proud of you man."

"Percy, that was SO freaking sweet. You're amazing!" Hazel said, giving me a hug. Silena, likewise. I forced a smile but inside, I was going _oh please just stop talking about this!_

"Really Percy, if you want all these dating rumors between the two of you to go away I'd suggest NOT to do really nice things like this for Annabeth." Leo joked. The whole table started to laugh. I, to, gave a half-hearted one. However, I stole a glance at Piper, who began mouthing the words _You know you really SHOULD ask her out!_

Ugh, why did I ask Piper to help me with this surprise in the first place? Why?

Thankfully, Rachel began heading towards our table. At that very moment, I don't think I've ever been gladder to see my girlfriend. I hurriedly motioned her towards us and called her name out.

"Hey, Rachel!" I exclaimed. She gave a big smile and went towards me.

"Hey you!" she began, grinning. She then went over to the seat next to me and gave me a kiss on the lips. I noticed that Piper's smile dipped a bit when I kissed Rachel. I didn't make a big deal of it though. I knew how weird I felt when I saw Annabeth kiss Luke. So, it was understandable.

"How was your Thanksgiving babe?" I then asked Rachel.

"Well, you came over so obviously it was terrible." Rachel joked.

"At least you're being honest." I muttered which got her to laugh. We continued chatting and talking for the next few minutes. Rachel also started to talk to my other friends about their own breaks. For a while, the conversation shifted away from Percy/Annabeth, which was good.

Of course, like so many other times, I spoke way too freaking soon.

Annabeth then entered the cafeteria. Man, she looked really good today. She was wearing some blue jeans and an orange CHB High School t-shirt. Her hair was in a simple ponytail. She decided not to wear any makeup as well. However, to me, Annabeth looked awesome. I always contended that the classic, _don't care about my looks_ look from Annabeth was her best and most beautiful. It was just her.

And her was already great.

 _Ok whoa, that's a bit too far..._

She was about to head to the other side of the cafeteria to sit. However, when she saw me, Annabeth's face erupted in a big big smile. She looked extremely happy. Seeing her that way, I couldn't help but smile widely as well. Her smile was SO freaking infectious. I would've given anything to see it.

All of a sudden, Annabeth rushed towards me.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Coming to school Monday, my mind was still occupied with what I would do to surprise Percy.

At math class, I was on my phone, looking through Amazon, eBay, other websites, trying to find something cool for Percy.

 _Maybe a new sweater or something. What am I kidding! Percy doesn't care about clothes! He should though He'll look less scruffy and more presentable._

"Hey, babe!" Luke called out as he sat next to me. He gave me a kiss on the cheeks.

"Oh, hey." I flatly replied.

"So, how was your Thanksgiving?"

"It was good," I quickly responded, half-listening to what Luke was saying. I really wanted to get back to my _find-Percy-a-gift_ search.

"Good! I heard that your dad came over for Thanksgiving! That must've been awesome!"

"Uh, yeah, yeah it was." I replied, not looking up from my phone. _A new seashell watch? No, no! The one he has now is already nice!_

"Um, you want to talk about it?" Luke asked.

"Sure, sure, I'll..I'll talk about it with you later. I'm.. busy" I answered. _Maybe Percy would like a new skateboard or surfboard. Damn it, I don't know anything about skateboards. Or surfboards. Ugh, this is WAY harder than expected!_

"Um, okay then. I'll talk with you later at lunch." Luke finally said, laughing awkwardly as he made his way towards his desk.

Entering lunch, I was still stuck on what to give Percy. I was supposed to sit with my boyfriend today. Luke was going to tell me about what he did during his Thanksgiving break, which I was pretty eager to hear about. However, on the way to Luke's table, I saw Percy.

My face erupted in a big smile. Warm feelings began to churn inside me. I started feeling really jubilant and carefree. For some reason, I started to worry and be self-conscious about my appearance.

 _Is my hair okay? Gods hope the ponytail look is working. And why didn't I wear any makeup? I should've worn some!_

I stopped myself. _What am I doing? I've never cared about how I look in front of someone! I'm just going to talk to Percy. But still.. do I look good?_

Percy noticed me as well and flashed his usual sarcastic smile. A weird part of me began to melt a bit when I saw it.

 _His smile is so nice._

Impulsively, I rushed over towards Percy and tackled him in a bear hug.

 _Wow, his hug is nice and warm too!_

"Okay, whoa, whoa there!" Percy exclaimed laughing, clearly caught off guard by my straightforwardness. I began to laugh out loud as well, amused. Around me, our friends began to smile, Silena, Piper, and Hazel especially.

"Hey there Seaweed Brain! I'm just saying hi. Am I not allowed to do that by hugging you?" I teased, grinning.

"Well, a warning would be welcomed, Wise Girl". Percy said returning my grin.

"Oh, I'm SO sorry, NOT!" I retorted as I then released him and gave Percy my signature Annabeth punch to the arm.

"Ow! Ok, thanks Wise Girl." he muttered moaning and rubbing his arm. I started laughing again, a little more loudly than before. Man, I felt really good at that time. Ecstatic! _And un-Annabeth like._

However, I didn't care. I just love being around Seaweed Brain!

* * *

 _ **(Rachel POV)**_

"Ow. Ok, thanks Wise Girl." Percy was saying, moaning and rubbing his shoulder as Annabeth laughed at him.

Before Annabeth came, I was sitting at Percy's table, chatting with him and our friends about our breaks. My Thanksgiving was great. My boyfriend was able to meet my dad for the first time. From what I could tell, Percy seemed to make an alright first impression on him. So that's always good.

However, Annabeth then entered the cafeteria. When the two saw each other, their faces broke into wide smiles.

I took notice of how happy they were. Like really really REALLY happy. _Well, they are good friends. So they would be happy to see each other, duh!_

Suddenly, Annabeth rushed up to Percy and tackled him in a big hug. I was caught off guard by Annabeth's forwardness as she embraced Percy. The two broke out into big laughter.

I don't know but it made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Okay, whoa, whoa!" Percy said to Annabeth.

"Hey there Seaweed Brain! I'm just saying hi. Am I not allowed to do that by hugging you?" Annabeth asked teasingly.

 _Maybe it's just me but is she sounding a little .. flirtatious?_

"Well, a warning would be welcomed Wise Girl". Percy grinned

"Oh, I'm SO sorry, NOT!" Annabeth exclaimed punching him in the arm.

"Ow. Ok, thanks Wise Girl," Percy muttered, moaning and rubbing his arm as Annabeth started laughing again. I sat there the entire time, feeling a bit awkward, as the two continued to chat for the rest of the time. Eventually, I decided to interject.

"Um, uh, hey Annabeth." I began.

"Oh.. hey Rachel." Annabeth replied, clearly caught off guard by my presence as if she just noticed me for the first time.

"I..uh wanted to ask how your Thanksgiving was." I managed, trying to form a new conversation. Annabeth's face lit up at the question.

"Oh, it was SO awesome Rachel! My dad came over for the holiday all the way from Britain! I hadn't seen him in so long! We went to see Hamilton on Broadway, the top of the Empire State Building and ate out for dinner and Sunday breakfast. I had a great time!"

"Wow, that's nice. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Yeah. Seems like you had a REALLY good time Wise Girl judging by your weird attitude today." Percy mentioned.

"Oh SHUT UP Seaweed Brain." Annabeth exclaimed, nudging Percy on the shoulder as he chuckled. I moved around a bit in my seat.

 _Is it just me or does Annabeth take every opportunity she gets to physically attack Percy? And he's cool with it._ _And, again, those nicknames!_

"Honestly, though, I still don't know how the heck you managed to make all of this happen Seaweed Brain!"

I looked at both of them with a puzzled look, not sure what they were talking about. "Um, what's Annabeth talking about babe?" I asked.

"Oh, um, originally, Annabeth's dad wasn't going to come over to Thanksgiving for some..reasons." Percy started, taking a look at Annabeth first, almost as if looking for approval to say what he was about to say. Annabeth gave a discreet nod to him.

 _What was that?_

"Uh, anyway," Percy continued. "I decided to send him an email at the last minute telling him how much Annabeth misses him. He received the email and decided to come over.

"Wow, that's..that's great. That's such a nice thing that you did for her babe." I replied. However, in the back of my mind, I began thinking. _Whoa, he did all that..for Annabeth? That's amazing...also, WHEN was Percy going to tell me?_

"Hey, like I told everyone, it wasn't that big of a deal. Just trying to be a good frind, that's all." Percy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"More like an amazing friend. I freaking love you, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth declared, her face breaking out into a wide smile. She then went up to Percy and hugged him again, this time longer and more intimate than before. I grew more and more uncomfortable, especially at the part when Annabeth said to Percy _I love you._

After the hug, Annabeth looked straight at Percy. "You know, I'm GOING to make it up to you somehow."

"First, Annabeth, you don't need to do that. You really don't. Second, I highly doubt you can top off my awesome surprise." he joked.

Annabeth shot Percy a side eye. She then grinned. "Is that a challenge for me Seaweed Brain?"

"No, no it's not. I'm just merely stating a fact that I'm good with surprises."

"Ok, that is SO not true! That's your personal opinion which is the opposite of a fact!"

"That's what you say."

"Ok, you do NOT know what you're getting yourself into by challenging me."

Percy put his hands up in fake surrender. "I've been warned then." Annabeth and Percy continued to play the staring game, both of them trying not to smile at each other though they failed. Eventually, Annabeth took note of the time. "Oh shoot! I should go now. I'm supposed to sit with Luke today. I'll catch up with you guys later." Annabeth then turned and looked at Percy straight in the face with those large gray eyes, which had a playful fire to them. "You should watch your back there Seaweed Brain. Just saying," she said, her lips forming into a devilish grin.

"Thanks for the heads up Wise Girl!" Percy replied. After Annabeth left, I then turned to my boyfriend.

"Wow, that was an awfully nice thing you did for her," I commented.

"I mean, I'm just being a good friend, that's all like I said."

"Annabeth really likes you, huh? The hug, the _I love you part._ " I noted, meaning that as a joke. However, there was some bitterness present in my tone.

"Yeah, yeah Annabeth does..." Percy replied. However, realizing that I meant that in a different way, Percy's eyes widened.

"Rachel, whoa, don't take it the wrong way! Annabeth loves me, as a friend. I..I lo..like her too, as a friend!" he began."We care a lot about each other Rachel! Have since we became friends in seventh grade! She would've done the same thing for me in that situation, I'm sure of it." Percy then came close to me and kissed me on the lips. "Look, I love you. I'm happy you're my girlfriend. Don't take my friendship with Annabeth the wrong way, okay?"

I gladly took my boyfriend's kiss, of course. For the rest of lunch, we continued to talk and chat about our breaks, as well as upcoming Christmas. However, I still couldn't get my mind off what Annabeth said when she told Percy he loved him.

Yes, they were friends. Really good friends. Have been since middle school apparently. And, well, it's normal I guess for close friends to want to love and care for one another, right?

Yet, I kept thinking about how they talked and joked to each other. How they acted goofy and weird. The intimacy they displayed. The ease they felt when around each other.

 _And again those nicknames! Gods, those nicknames! Ugh, now I want a nickname from Percy..._

It kinda felt like more than just a casual friendship.

And, I don't know if I was cool with that.

* * *

 **Feelings**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Honestly, Seaweed Brain, you do NOT know what you're getting yourself into by giving Annabeth Chase a challenge. I am extremely competitive. Won the Manhattan borough girl's 100 meter track race freshman year. Also helped CHB High School team reach the state finals in my first year in the academic decathlon.

So yeah, I'm competitive. Maybe TOO competitive. And right now, my new goal was finding something to surprise Percy and rub it in his face.

After school, I went to Columbus Circle and went through all the shops around there. Michaels Kors. H&M. However, I didn't find a gift for Percy. I then went to Herald Square.

Nothing as well.

I also went to some nearby bakery stores to see if I could get some pastries for him. Unfortunately, a personal request to make them blue gives you multiple weird looks from people.

Finally, exhausted and frustrated, I went back home and went straight to my couch, slumping down. I looked up at the clock. It was 7 pm. _A nearly 4 hour search and nothing! Nothing! Why is it so freaking hard to find Percy something he would like?_ Samantha then came into the living room, noticing me half-dead on the couch.

"You're home late Annabeth." Samantha noted.

"Huh?" I responded, looking up at her." Oh..oh yeah Samantha. It's just .. today's been a LONG long day, that's all."

"You want to explain?"

"It's nothing. It's..I was trying to find Percy something. As a thank you, for helping to invite my dad over for Thanksgiving."

"Oh, okay, that's sweet. Have you found anything yet?"

I shook my head. "4 hours and nothing Samantha! Gosh, I even planned it out beforehand before I went shopping! I made a list, putting all of Percy's likes and favorite things on it. Next, I tried connecting those interests and likes to physical things you could buy! Still, I couldn't find anything! Maybe I'll check out the sporting outlets around New York. I haven't covered sports-related stuff yet."

Samantha shook her head in disbelief and then laughed. She sat down on the couch, putting her arms around me. "Annabeth, you're treating this like it's a math problem with a final solution. You can't do that!"

I groaned at her. "Why..why can't I?"

"Because this is about giving someone you care a lot about something that shows your love and thankfulness for them. You can't use rational calculations Annabeth!" I groaned a bit when Samantha said that.

"You have to use your feelings."

"Feelings?" I questioned, puzzled.

"Yes, your feelings! You need to be able to feel out what Percy would like,"

I sighed to myself. First off, I contend with Samantha's assertion that you can't use rational calculations to solve every problem. _Yes, yes you can!_ Second, I've .. I've admittedly never been that good with my feelings.

To expect me to use them to find Percy a gift was impossible.

"I'm ..I'm not good with feelings Samantha. You should know!"

"Hey, don't say that! Everyone has them! Look, you care about Percy right?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Then that's your feelings. Your care and sense of attachment and thankfulness to Percy. Trust me, you don't need to think too hard about what he would like. If you care about Percy a lot then you'll know immediately if you found something he'll love."

"Ugh, can you at least give me a place to start? A website link or store would be REALLY helpful."

Samantha chuckled, giving me a little kiss on the forehead. "You're thinking too much Annabeth. Why don't you go and eat dinner first and go back to solving this later? We've still got some leftover turkey."

"Wait, you're not cooking?" I posed.

"Annabeth, I already said your microwave will be your friend for the next week. So don't complain, alright!" Samantha said. I smiled at her.

After finishing dinner, I headed into my room. Grabbing my Daedelus-edition MacBook, I went online to search for some more gifts.

After a few minutes, my brain started to fizzle up. I moaned out loud. _Ugh, this is so freaking impossible! Why couldn't there be a search option on Amazon that included "items that show your care and love for someone"?_

Out of boredom and frustration, I then decided to go on to Twitter to scroll through my feed. (PS: if you want, you can follow me at TheOneandOnlyWiseGirl. Hey! Don't judge that username! Percy forced me to use it!)

As I began scrolling, rolling my eyes at the next weird thing Trump did today, I came across a Twitter post from one of my favorite EDM DJ groups, Vicetone. The post had a picture announcing some upcoming tour sites in New York City.

I began scanning through them out of curiosity.

 _Christmas Tour City Announcements: Denver December 3rd. Chicago December 5th. Philadelphia December 7th. New York City December 8th._

My eyes widened when I saw New York listed. I looked at the venue location they chose. _Washington Square Park._ Wow, that was a perfect location! Public, lovely scenery and attractions. Also, the West 4th street station was close by.

Further, the tickets were reasonably priced at around $30.

 _You'll know immediately what Percy will like when you find it_ Samantha's voice began saying in my head.

Yes, this was perfect! Percy and I could go to this concert together! I knew how much Percy enjoyed hanging out with me. And I enjoyed hanging out with him! This would be AWESOME! Just me and Percy, enjoying and dancing to some awesome music, together!

I began getting excited and giddy at the prospect.

 _Oh, my gods! Percy would freaking love this! Hah, and to think Seaweed Brain doubted my ability to surprise him!_

I quickly went to the ticket purchasing site and entered my payment info. Soon enough, I got a confirmation email and my tickets.

I smiled to myself. _Prepare to be surprised, Seaweed Brain!_

* * *

 **Conflict**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

"You excited babe?" Rachel asked as she was at my locker after school.

I looked at her, my face in a frown. "Excited? Uh, for what?" I questioned, puzzled.

"You..you seriously forgot already?" Rachel remarked, with her now frowning.

"Forgot, did..did we plan on doing something?"

"Ugh, how do you forget already! We just planned this yesterday!"

Ok, before you all go ballistic on me for seemingly forgetting something I planned with my girlfriend, hey, don't judge me! Being a boyfriend is hard. Especially if you haven't dated in like..forever. I still need to get in the groove.

Rachel looked at me for a while expectantly like I knew the answer. Of course, I didn't. Eventually, she let out a big sigh and exclaimed. "Our dinner reservation! This Friday! At that Japenese restaurant IchiUmi's! Which, by the way, is around 3, no 2 and a half if you're being specific, days from now!"

I suddenly had an _oh-shit-yeah-we did-plan that_ moment within me. "Oh..of course, I..I remember that! I..I was just testing you, babe, that's all!" I weakly answered trying to give Rachel my classic Percy grin. It kind of worked on Annabeth when she got pissed at me.

Unfortunately, it didn't for Rachel.

"Why am I dating you again?" Rachel muttered as she shook her head. As I continued to rummage around my locker collecting my books, Rachel began to go into great lengths about how great the food at the restaurant we were going to was. I was half-listening, though. Personally, I wasn't too into Japanese food.

Don't get me wrong, their food seems great. It's just .. I'm a cheeseburger, pizza, and milkshakes man. A typical American. As such, I am ignorant of all other foods that do not rhyme with _pizza_ or _cheeseburger._

Rachel, however, being a big fan of Japanese food, insisted we go eat out at this place called IchiUmi's. And being the wonderful boyfriend I am, I had to relent.

Out of the corner of the hallway, Annabeth then turned. When she saw me, her face litup. I began smiling at her. Annabeth rushed towards me.

"Hey there Seaweed Brain!" she excitedly exclaimed as she gave me a hug.

"Ok, whoa, whoa! I thought I told you to warn me first before you went to hug me."

"Hey, I did warn you though! Didn't you hear me call your name out?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, I meant a warning with enough time to act on!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and gave a little snicker. "You just don't want me to hug you, huh?" she teased.

"Ok, that is SO not true and you know that!" I replied as I went to give her my own hug. The whole time we went back and forth, I didn't notice Rachel was on the side of me, having a somewhat annoyed look on her face.

"So, what's up Wise Girl?" I then asked.

Her face formed a big smile. "Guess who got tickets to see the Vicetone show in New York?"

My eyes widened. "No freaking way? You got tickets! That's great!" I said as I gave Annabeth a high five.

"I know! I'm so pumped! Exhilarated! Psyched. Anticipi…"

"Okay, you're excited I get it. Don't need to go through all the synonyms for it," I stated grinning at her as Annabeth laughed and nudged me. Rachel continued to look perturbed. She began taking out her phone, trying to occupy herself with something.

"So, who you going with?" I asked

"Well, I was planning to go with another person who happened to be a big Vicetone fan who also coincidentally happened to be my best friend. But, I don't know if he's interested…" she said teasingly all the while smiling.

I stood there, stunned. "No. Freaking. Way. You..you got a ticket for me Annabeth!"

Annabeth continued to smile. "Yes, Seaweed Brain. I did. You know, I did warn you about giving Annabeth Chase a challenge..."

"Oh my gods Annabeth, you're so freaking awesome!" I said as I went to give her another hug, all to her laughter and amusement.

 _Gods, I love this girl so much! She always knows what I like. She's amazing. Sweet. Incredible. Just.._

 _Hey, you have a girlfriend already._

"So, when is it?"

"This coming Friday! December 8th. At night! You free, right?"

"Yeah, definitely! Gosh, I can't wait! Man, I hope they play their new song!"

Someone then tapped me on the shoulder. "Um, Percy." I then turned to see Rachel, who I just consciously realized was standing beside me the whole time as Annabeth and I were talking.

"Oh, uh, yeah, Rachel?"

"We have our dinner reservations that Friday. At night." she flatly stated.

My expression dampened. My excitement flattened. The anticipation of going to a concert with Annabeth began to slowly but surely go away.

"Oh, oh shit, yes it is! Oh man, I totally forgot about that."

Annabeth overheard us. "Oh. I..I didn't know that Percy" she slowly responded. The childlike enthusiasm on her face disappeared. Her smile, which I loved so much, faded.

 _No..._

"Hey, don't..don't get down Annabeth! Maybe..maybe we can change our reservations!" I quickly voiced, trying to give some little hope to Annabeth, and myself. "Rachel, can we change the date of our reservations? Earlier? Later?"

"I..I don't think so Percy. All the other slots are filled up after since it's holiday season."

"How about a new restaurant? Another Japanese place. A.."

Rachel cut me off. "I really wanted to go this Friday babe. I was looking forward to it the whole week." Rachel said, some impatience present in her voice. Annabeth then interrupted our conversation.

"Percy, it's..it's okay. You guys have already made reservations for dinner this Friday. I don't want to get in between that."

"Annabeth, no, it's NOT okay!" I said. "You already went through the hassle of buying tickets meant for me!"

"Percy, look, really, it's..it's fine! You should be able to spend some time with Rachel before Christmas. It was just a fun little thing I thought we could do together. I'll..I'll go with..someone else. Maybe we can go to a different concert later?" Annabeth said, putting on a little smile. However, I could see right through it. I knew what Annabeth's real smile looked like. She was disappointed.

 _S_ a _d._

Gods I hate seeing her like that!

"I..I have to go now, Percy. I'm planning on hanging out with the girls. I..I hope you two enjoy your date." Annabeth finally stated, giving me a weak grin. She then went down the hallway, not looking back at me. My expression and mood went absolutely sullen.

Rachel noticed it. "Hey babe, I'm sorry you couldn't go with Annabeth. I know that you were excited to go. But cheer up! Friday will be awesome! You and me and a romantic night, together," she said as she kissed me "And, like Annabeth said, you could two could go another time, right?"

I nodded at her. "Yeah, I..I guess." However, I was half-heartedly listening. The only thing I could think about was Annabeth's sad look. Since we started listening to EDM music when we were young, Annabeth and I had always wanted to go to a concert/festival together, like everything else we did. Finally, Annabeth had bought tickets for the two of us to see our all-time favorite artist.

It was going to be incredible.

 _However, I couldn't go. I couldn't._

And that absolutely freaking sucked.

* * *

 **Just Tell Him**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I was sadder than I should've been when Percy said he couldn't come to the concert.

As I was on the subway headed to Columbus Circle, I felt some varying levels of emotions. Sadness. Disappointment. Anger, though I didn't know at who. _A little hurt._

 _Hurt, why would I be hurt? This was just a fun little thing that I wanted to do with Percy this Friday! He already had plans with his girlfriend! No big deal._

Yet, I still felt these overwhelming mix of emotions as I exited the Columbus Circle stop and made my way out. I couldn't remain in this state though.

 _Not when you're planning on shopping with your friends..._

Trying to make myself feel better, I then met the girls at H&M.

"Hey, there you are _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl_!" Piper called out, giving a wide smile as she saw me.

Silena and Hazel exchanged puzzled glances at each other at the mention of the nickname. "Um, what is Pipes talking about..."

"It's a long story girls," I flatly muttered. It didn't even occur to me at that time that I NEVER before made mention of Percy's nickname for me to Piper. However, I really just wanted to forget about Percy at that moment. "I'll..I'll explain later. Let's just shop and stuff."

We then headed into H&M, first going through the purse section and then the clothing section. Actually, this would have been a good time for me to buy a new winter hat and some gloves; I had been meaning to for some time. However, I couldn't focus at all the entire time. I was half-interested in what the store was offering. Not only because the prices were Tartarus-level bad but I could only think of one thing.

 _Gods, I freaking wish Percy could come with me to the concert! I just wish!_

Man, I was really disappointed. Really really disappointed.

Ugh, I hate feeling like this!

Eventually, while standing around in the designer shirts section, Hazel came over to me. "Annabeth, you okay?" I asked

"What? Yeah, yeah I'm fine Hazel! Of course! Why do you ask?"

"You've been standing in the same place for around 5 minutes, not looking at any of the clothes,"

"Oh," I said, just consciously realizing that. "No, I..I was just, I was thinking about buying this particular shirt Hazel," I quickly replied, picking out a random shirt from the store rack. I choked a bit when I saw the price tag.

 _Oh crap, that's expensive. $200 for a shirt! What?_

Hazel had a puzzled look on her face at my weird attitude. However, her expression turned to that of concern. "Annabeth, is..is something wrong?"

"Wrong? What do you mean wrong?"

"Look, we keep telling you this but if you have any problems or something, just let us know. We're your friends. We want to…"

I cut Hazel off halfway, not wanting to hear it."Hazel, look, nothing's wrong alright! Everything's cool. Let's just go keep shopping, okay?" I snapped at her. I then stormed off into another section of the store, leaving a surprised Hazel behind.

After another half hour of shopping, we then headed to the checkout area. Waiting on line, I then heard a 1D song play on the speakers. I moaned to myself.

"Ugh, they're playing this One Direction song again?" I groaned.

 _ *****If any of my readers happen to be 1D fans, this is meant as a joke! I don't want to give the false impression that I hate 1D, or like I hate rap as I joked about in previous chapters. I do enjoy some songs from 1D and rap. In the case of 1D, I just wanted to make fun of the fact that songs similar to their nature are a bit overplayed in department stores in general. Also, it's a funny little joke for Annabeth's musical likes to change SO rapidly due to her mood. So, no shade intended at 1D. This is all in good fun :D*****_

Silena looked at me weirdly. "Annabeth, this is the exact same song they were playing in Forever 21 when we went shopping there. You were dancing to it before!"

"Uh, yeah, but, listening to it again, it's..it's not THAT good." I stuttered.

Silena, like Hazel before, looked at me weirdly. "Annabeth, you okay girl? Because if not, just tell me.."

I snapped at Silena."Hey, Silena I'm fine! I'm fine you guys! Gosh, you all always blow up little things that you think are wrong with me!" I angrily exclaimed, storming out of the store.

 _Gods, I'm okay! I'm okay. Why can't everyone see that?_

Getting back home, I went straight to my couch and slumped down on it, feeling tired and miserable. Samantha then entered the living room. She took note of the deja vu.

"This looks familiar," she muttered as she went towards me.

"Samantha, it's nothing,"

"Come on Annabeth, spill it. What is it?"

"Samantha, really it's nothing."

"Annabeth you have that look on your face that tells me it's NOT nothing. So spill it out."

I sighed out loud. "Ugh, fine. " I told her as she sat next to me on the couch. I began telling Samantha how I came across tickets for a Vicetone show this upcoming Friday and bought two, one meant for Percy.

"Wow, a concert, that sounds great! I know you two love Vicetone!"

"Yeah, it was going to be great. Unfortunately, Percy already had a date planned with his girlfriend the same day. So he .. he couldn't come with me." I slowly said.

Samantha's expression dampened. "Oh my goodness. That's too bad! I'm..I'm so sorry for that Annabeth,"

I gave a little snicker. "What's there to be sorry about Samantha? It was just a fun little thing I had planned with Percy, that's all."

Samantha put her hand on me. "Annabeth, don't say that! I know how disappointed you are. It's ok to feel that way. It's just your feelings!"

I looked at Samantha, trying to deny that claim.

 _Also that word feelings._

"I'm not disappointed, Samantha! I'm..I'm not! Why would I be disappointed?"

"Annabeth, don't keep denying it! " she exclaimed

"Samantha, I'm not.." I began. However, she ignored me and continued. "Annabeth you're disappointed because I know you had planned this as a way to say thank you to Percy. You're sad because you couldn't go with someone that means a lot to you. That's understandable!"

I wanted to refute what Samantha had said. I wasn't feeling any of those things. _I wasn't!_ But I couldn't deny it. I did feel disappointed. Sad.

 _Really sad._

I sighed again. ."Maybe..maybe you're right Samantha. I..I had planned this concert surprise as a way to say thanks to Percy. It..it does suck that he can't come."

Samantha gave a soft nod in understanding. She then said. "I know that and that's too bad. At the very least, you can tell Percy that you intended this as thank you to him. Let him know what you feel."

I looked at Samantha in horror. "Tell him? What?"

"Annabeth, just tell him! What's the big deal?"

"I..I don't want to Samantha! It's just..no!" I quickly told her. _Telling Percy that I was disappointed? Sad he couldn't come with me to the concert.? That was just..that's too open!_

"Annabeth…"

"No, Samantha. No, and that's final!"

Samantha moaned out loud. "Annabeth, goodness, you REALLY are bad with your feelings aren't you?" She then got up from the couch to head to her bedroom, clearly frustrated at me. However, before she went in, she went to look at me, saying.

"Annabeth, at least just think about it, okay? I can't force you. For once, don't use your brain or rationale to make this decision. Use your feelings Annabeth. You NEED to." she said as Samantha closed the door of her room, leaving me on the couch to think to myself.

 _Just tell him._

No, I couldn't. That was too open! Too far!

 _Too honest.._

 _You really are bad about your feelings aren't you?_ Samantha's voice ringed in my head.

Gods, I hate that word. Feelings.

* * *

 **Open**

 _ **(Silena POV)**_

At lunch on Thursday, Annabeth came up to me as I was sitting.

"Hey Silena!" Annabeth called out as she went and sat in the empty seat next to me.

"Oh, hey Annabeth," I responded, giving a little smile. My mind was still on Annabeth's quirky behavior she displayed at H&M when we went shopping. However, I shook that thought from my head.

"So, what's up?"

"Well, this Friday, I'm going to a Vicetone concert at Washington Square Park."

"Wow, that's.. that's great! Hope you have fun!" I told her.

"Yeah, it will be.. fun. Um, I..I was just wondering whether you're free that Friday. I have an extra ticket and I thought maybe you would want to go with me."

"Really, you do?" I told her, my eye widening in puzzlement. "Why do you have an extra ticket?

"I mean..I..I got an extra ticket. That's all that matters. And, I don't have anyone else to go with. Luke is busy hanging out with his friends. Pipes and Hazel are going to check out that new Greek clothing store in Canal Street. So it's just you left Silena." Annabeth said.

"So, what you say? You me? Girls night out?" Annabeth continued.

"I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of dance music Annabeth. You know that. So I don't know if you would want me as company."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! Just two friends going out, having fun and dancing."

Truthfully, I would go with Annabeth, even if I wasn't the biggest fan of dance concerts. I didn't have anything planned that Friday and it sounded fun. However, something big irked me. Annabeth randomly happened to have an extra ticket. And only one. That doesn't happen with people like Annabeth.

 _It's almost l_ _ike she was planning to go with someone else instead._

All of a sudden, Percy came into the cafeteria and walked towards Annabeth

"Annabeth, hey!" he called out, coming towards us, a worried look on his face. Annabeth's mood dampened. _Weird, she's always happy to see Percy!_

"Oh, hey Percy," she flatly responded.

"Annabeth, look, I'm..I'm so sorry I can't come with you this Friday. I really am!"

"Percy, you don't need to keep apologizing. You already apologized numerous times this week."

"But you need to know I MEAN it! Maybe..maybe we can do something else together next week. How about skating?"

"Percy, I'm fine, okay? I understand that you had a date already planned this Friday. Besides, I..I'm planning to go with Silena, if she says yes of course," Percy turned to look at me and I gave a little smile. However, I was really uncomfortable with the two's tension.

Annabeth continued. "Really Percy, it's fine. I'll be alright. Just..just have fun with your girlfriend, okay?" Annabeth said, giving a little smile to him. For a while, Percy looked like he wanted to keep arguing. However, suddenly, his girlfriend. Rachel called out to him from across the cafeteria. Percy then hesitantly left.

Turning to Annabeth, I began to put the pieces all together, realizing why she had the extra ticket.

"So that's why you're asking me to go instead! That ticket was meant for Percy!"

"Silena, please, don't.." Annabeth began.

"Oh, gods, I'm so sorry Annabeth! You were probably really excited to go with Percy. I can't imagine how sad you must be feeling!"

"I'm..I'm not sad Silena. Just..a bit disappointed, yes" she said. However, I took a good long look at her gray eyes. They looked even grayer now, almost black even.

 _Oh poor Annabeth…_

"Annabeth, please, stop lying. You're really sad. You can admit that! It's normal to feel that way." Annabeth gave a big sigh, as if she already heard my words already numerous times before. She still looked down.

Trying to make her feel better. "You know, that was a really sweet and awesome thing that you wanted to do for him. I think Percy would've loved going to the concert with you." I told her, trying to make her feel better. She gave a soft smile.

"Yeah, he would've" Annabeth slowly said.

"You know, at the very least, you can tell Percy that. Tell him that it would've been great if he came with you,"

Annabeth's smile faded. She then briefly replied "No."

I looked at Annabeth in absolute bewilderment. "No? Why?"

"No, Silena, just..no."

"Annabeth!" I began.

"Silena, no! It's.. it's.. it's weird!"

"Weird. What?"

 _Weird. What in the name of Hades is Annabeth talking about!_

"It's just, telling Percy that is WAY too honest. Saying that I'm sad and disappointed he couldn't come with me to the concert. I..I don't know it's just... I'm not comfortable with that Silena!"

I shook my head at her.

 _My goodness, Annabeth is so hesitant about admitting her feelings! Especially to Percy._

"Annabeth, it's not weird. That's just your feelings! It's okay to admit them!"

Annabeth suddenly looked at me furiously, annoyance and frustration present on her face. Her gray eyes assumed a sharp, battle-like look. "Why does it matter anyway, huh? What's the point if I admit my feelings to someone! If I admit it, what's it going to do? Percy's still going to go on that date with Rachel at the end! And I'm still not going to go with him!" she fiercely exclaimed anger in her voice. I could sense some hurt in her.

I grabbed Annabeth with both my hands and gave her a hug, trying to comfort her. I then forced her gray eyes, which were trying to look away from me, to look squarely at mine. "Annabeth, DON'T SAY THAT IT'S NOT IMPORTANT! It is! It's important because admitting your feelings for someone you care a lot about IS important. Being honest and true to yourself is important. I know Percy means a lot to you. I know that. And I..I know you like him a lot Annabeth." I told her.

"Maybe even love him."

"Silena, I don't…" Annabeth began. However, I stopped her.

"Annabeth, no matter how much you deny it, you like Percy ok. Maybe you won't admit you love him but I KNOW you like him. No dispute about that. And the fact that he couldn't go with you to that concert hurts you. I know. It's ok. But you have to let him know that. You just have to."

The entire time, Annabeth continued to look down on the floor, not looking at me, her body tense. Eventually, she eased up more and more as I continued to talk. She then slowly looked up at me. Thinking about what I said, Annabeth let out a big grumble "You know, you're sounding A LOT like Samantha Silena," she muttered.

I gave a little laugh. "She's right though. Please Annabeth, at least tell Percy, ok?

She didn't respond for a while. Eventually, Annabeth let out a soft "Maybe" to me.

I slowly nodded I didn't want to push it. I knew Annabeth could be..tough to convince at times.

 _And that's the problem! She's way too stubborn to admit things. Like her feelings._

Especially her feelings.

* * *

 **Care**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Sometimes I feel like my friends and family always plot beforehand what they'll say to me for advice.

The days prior to the concert, I began thinking again and again about what Silena and Samantha had told me. _Just tell Percy how you feel!_ _Just tell him._ They had all told me same thing, how much I care for Percy. How he means a lot to me.

 _How I like and love him a lot._

However, I didn't want to tell Percy. Like I stated, what's the point? He's still going to go with Rachel at the end. Plus, hurt?

 _I wasn't hurt..._

Getting back home from school, I then went to my room. Looking up at the clock, I still had around 2 hrs to kill before the concert. In between, I then got a call from my dad. Though I felt a bit down, I still excitedly picked up the phone and answered it.

"Annabeth, hey my dear!" my dad exclaimed.

"Hi, dad! How are you?" I asked

"Great. You know, I..I miss a lot already Annabeth,"

"Yeah, I..I miss you too dad," I responded. There was some silence that proceeded. Eventually, dad asked "So, how was your week love?" he asked, changing the subject. "Got any plans for the weekend? Oh, and did you get started with those sketches like I told you to? I do mean it when I said I'm expecting them on Sunday!"

I gave a little laugh. "Yes, yes I am dad! And, no, nothing much happened over the week. I'm..I'm just going to go to a dance concert tonight. That's all."

"Really? Wow. Ok. I know you're a young mature adult Annabeth and responsible but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be careful! Especially with drugs. Goodness, the weird teenagers do these days.."

"Dad, I know! This concerts for all ages. I'm going with a good friend of mine so I'll be ok!"

My dad sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought I would have to personally ask Samantha to go with you to the concert. That would have been embarrassing, huh? So, who you planning to go with? I bet it's that Percy kid huh?" he teased chuckling.

My smile faded as dad mentioned Percy. "Um, no dad. I'm..I'm going with my friend Silena. I had wanted to go with Percy. But, he had a date already with his girlfriend so he couldn't come."

"Oh." my dad responded. After a period of silence, he continued. "Well, I'm..I'm sorry to hear that Annabeth. Do..do you want to talk about it?"

A part of me began to say no. I wanted to stop talking about Percy. I didn't want to feel down before the concert.

However, this was my dad. I made a personal vow to try to be more open with him.

"I'm..I'm just sad about it that's all dad. I.. I planned the concert as a surprise for Percy. As..as a way to say that..that I care for him. Alot," I said, admitting the last part to dad for the first time out loud.

"Wow, That's very thoughtful dear," my father responded. "I'm sure Percy would have loved going with you,"

"Yeah," I simply said, mood dampening.

"You at least told Percy though, right? Why you planned this for him?"

"No, I didn't dad. I didn't."

I could sense some disappointment at the end of the line. "Annabeth, my dear, you should've! Why didn't you?"

"I...I don't know."

"Annabeth…"

I felt myself getting frustrated, similar with Silena. "Ugh, dad! Stop it! First Samantha! Silena! Then you! All telling me to do the same stupid thing of telling Percy how I feel! Why? Why do you all insist that I tell Percy how I feel? What's the freaking point?"

"Because Annabeth, we all care about you very deeply dear. It's important you be open about your emotions and feelings, especially to a close friend like Percy." he then said softly.

At that moment, I was about to make the same excuses to my dad as before with Silena and Samantha. However, I knew that my dad would see right through it.

Truth be told, my reasons WERE bullshit. In all honestly, I was perfectly ok with telling Percy my feelings and issues I had. I had always had done that throughout my life. Percy was the only person I truly trusted and was comfortable with in confiding my feelings.

Yet, this wasn't about another person or a problem. _This was about Percy. How I felt about him. How I was disappointed, sad.. hurt that he couldn't come to the concert with me._

I didn't know whether or not I should tell him those things.

 _I was scared. Scared about how he would react to these feelings I had._

 _And to admit these feelings in the first place._

I let out a burdened exhale. Taking a deep breath, I slowly said. "I'm scared to tell Percy, dad."

"Annabeth, you're..you're scared?" my dad asked incredulously. He laughed out loud as if the thought of Annabeth being scared amused him. "Scared? Annabeth, gods, you're the opposite of that! You're brave! Extremely determined! That's why you won all those track, academic decathlon, and art competitions in both middle and high school! That's why you were able to conquer Kingda Ka like Samantha told me. Goodness, I couldn't even dream of doing that! And you did! And you're telling me you're scared to tell Percy your feelings? What?"

"Yes dad I'm scared!" I exclaimed, raising my voice at him. "I'm..I'm scared about these feelings that I have about Percy! Scared that they're strange to have! Scared that Percy would see me weirdly for having them! Dad, don't you think it's peculiar that I feel so disappointed, sad, and hurt, really really hurt actually, that he can't come with me to a stupid old concert when he already tells me that he's going out with his girlfriend! That's so strange! I'm..I'm just his friend! Rachel's his girlfriend! Yet I feel so fucking hurt, shitty, PAINED that I can't go with him to the concert. I..I don't know why!"

"Annabeth.." dad began, trying to calm me down. However, I continued my tirade.

"Dad, if I tell Percy what I feel, it will only shock him. I don't know how he's going to react! He'll..he'll always look at me differently. Forever. I..I might mess up our friendship with being honest about these feelings. That's why I won't tell him!" I then said. I was angry right now. For some reason, I felt myself wanting to tear up a bit.

For the next minute, my dad didn't say anything. For a while, the only sound audible was our heavy breathing and the sound of cars in the background.

After a while, my dad said. "You know, Annabeth, I didn't want to tell you this. But I feel compelled. A..a while back, I had actually planned on going to New York for Thanksgiving Break without you asking first."

"What? R..Really dad?" I told him. My anger subsided, replaced with genuine shock at what my dad was revealing.

"Yes. I wanted to do it as a surprise. As a way to say that I'm sorry for when I canceled my trip on you."

"But, you said a while back." I noted. My father's voice got noticeably more quiet as he responded. "Yes, yes I did. However, as I was planning coming here, I began thinking over and over again about that phone conversation we had Thursday night."

I got guilty as I thought about that conversation. That night, I had been pretty harsh with my dad, using some words I came to regret. "Dad, I'm..I'm so sorry for that! I..I was just so angry. Livid. Fed up! I..I didn't mean to make you hurt! I was..I was so caught up in my emotions. I'm really really sorry!"

"Yes, I know dear. You didn't mean what you say. You were caught up in anger at me. That's understandable. However, still, I can't deny that those words stung because, well, they were kind of true. And, as a result, I was scared to see you. I..I doubted whether you wanted to see me. Or..if you even loved me still Annabeth..."

"Dad, I'll..I'll always love you. No matter what," I slowly said.

"I know that sweetie. I should've known that. You're my daughter; I know you'll always love me like I'll always love you. It took Percy's email to understand the blatant obvious," My dad then stopped and took a deep breath. "Annabeth, I may not be great with personal advice or friendships; I'm a historian for crying out loud! However, I think I should tell you this. Annabeth, you told me that you care about Percy a lot. And Percy cares for you as well, right? Do you doubt that at all?"

"Yes, I told you dad. And no, I..I don't doubt that Percy cares for me"

"Even if you didn't tell me, I could automatically feel it. You two have a very special, close connection. It..it reminds me somewhat of me and my friend Randolph actually." I smiled a bit he said that.

My dad continued. "Annabeth, you shouldn't worry about telling your feelings of disappointment and hurt to Percy. You know, deep down, Percy cares for you a lot. He always will. He's not going to judge you harshly for telling him these feelings! If he does, I'll give him a piece of my mind!" my dad joked which made me giggle a bit.

"Annabeth, these feelings you have, they're not weird! They're not peculiar. Nonsense! They show how much you love, care, and want to be with Percy. And that's admirable. I feel the same way with my best friend Randolph although frankly, it is not at the same level or intensity as you and Percy. It's normal to feel sad that you can't spend time with someone you care and love about. That's why you feel hurt that you can't go with Percy to the concert. Don't feel bad Annabeth. Besides, have you ever thought that maybe Percy, as well, is hurt that he couldn't go to the concert with you?"

I felt some guilt as my dad made that point. "No..I..I haven't." I slowly said. I never thought about it that way. I mean, he had plans with his girlfriend. I was just his friend.

 _Percy couldn't be hurt by not being able to come with me, right?_

"The point is, tell Percy how you feel Annabeth. Just tell him. He won't judge you. In fact, you might find Percy feels the same.

I felt myself getting more confident as my dad gave me advice. "I..I think I will dad," I told him.

"Ok, sweetie. That's great. I love you! And remember, I STILL am expecting those sketches on Sunday, ideally Saturday if you could. So don't party too hard tonight alright?" he said.

"Alright dad, I won't. I love you too." I said, chuckling as I hung up the phone. I then went to my phone and found Percy's number.

 _Just tell him how you feel. You won't judge him. You might find that Percy feels the same._

I took a deep breath and began typing out a text message to send to Percy.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

The entire week leading up to Friday night, I had been trying to apologize to Annabeth, trying to find some way, somehow, to make it up to her.

I knew Annabeth was feeling down. I, especially, felt terrible I couldn't go with Annabeth.

Of course, Annabeth, being Annabeth, kept denying that she was disappointed. She kept saying that it was ok. She was perfectly fine.

I knew she wasn't though..

That was all I could think about as I was getting dressed for my date with Rachel tonight. Well, to be fair, my mom was dressing me. She had picked out a suit and tie for me to wear and was currently fiddling around with my dress shirt. I let my frustrations and dislike of suits be known to my mom.

"Ugh, mom, I absolutely hate suits!" I groaned.

My mom looked at me in disapproval. "Percy, you need to learn how to like suits. Don't you want to look nice for your date?"

"Um, yeah. I..I do,"

"Then listen to your mom dear. She knows best about this type of stuff," she firmly said as she went to fiddle with my tie, trying to do a Windsor knot. Finally, my mom was finished. She took a step back, admiring the work she'd done.

"Aww, you look so adorable dear!" my mom remarked.

"Adorable is not the look I was aiming for but alright," I mumbled. My mom then laughed and then proceeded to exit the room, leaving me to myself in my room. I then went on my phone, trying to kill some time before my date.

For a while, I thought of texting Annabeth trying to tell her, yet again, how sorry I was. However, what was the point in doing that? I already said that multiple times. Besides, I don't even know if she would accept my apology. It seemed so...empty.

All of a sudden, I heard a beep go off from my phone. The notification banner showed. My eyes widened as I saw the name.

It was a text from Annabeth.

 _What? Why..why is she texting me? Now?_

I tentatively open my messages app. I took a deep breath. I have no idea what to expect from the text. I then started to read it.

 _Annabeth: Hey Percy. Look, I'm..I'm going to be honest with you. I'm sorry. Really sorry. I..I was lying to you the whole week when I said I wasn't disappointed that you couldn't come with me to the concert. I am. I'm sad. Disappointed. Hurt. Really hurt actually. I had planned this concert as a way of saying thank you for your Thanksgiving surprise. As..as a way of saying I care for you. A lot. I..I really love spending time with you Percy. I really do. It..it hurts me that we couldn't have gone together to see our favorite artist tonight._

 _Annabeth then sent another message. Annabeth: However, it's okay. You have this night with your girlfriend. And you should enjoy it! Maybe we can go another time hopefully. Anyways, have fun Percy! PS for some advice: Don't act like a Seaweed Brain in front of Rachel, okay?=)_

I looked a while at the message for a while. I began smiling. I felt myself get a little emotional. _Wow, this..this was such a heartfelt text message by Annabeth._ She had gotten me these concert tickets as a way of saying she cared for me! A lot.

Annabeth didn't need to do that! She knows that I know she cares for me. Yet, she STILL did this favor. And I..I never realized how much it hurt her that I couldn't come. I knew she felt down, obviously. Disappointed.

But hurt?

 _Wow, Annabeth really wanted to go with me, huh? Am I..am I that special to her?_

My mom then came into my room again as I was musing over the text message.

"Percy, dear. I recommend you get going soon. Proper dating etiquette is for the boyfriend to go and pick up the girlfriend at her place for the date. Just a little advice!"

I got out of my little daze. No, tonight I was supposed to go eat out with Rachel. I needed to go on that date with Rachel. She's my girlfriend.

However, I replayed Annabeth's text over and over in my head.

 _It hurts me that we couldn't have gone together._

I began to remember, the day before Thanksgiving, how sad I felt when I saw Annabeth crying about her dad. That was why I tried to comfort her. And planned that surprise.

 _I couldn't let Annabeth feel hurt. I couldn't._

"Mom," I said, as I then looked up. "I..I have a little change of plans tonight. I'm going to spend my evening with someone very special to me."

* * *

 **Change of Plans**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

 _Me: Silena, you ready to go?_ I texted her as I began to look at myself in the mirror. For the concert, I decided to wear a simple white and black striped blouse and some blue designer jeans. I had also decided to let my hair down, using my curler to curl the ends of it.

Yeah, I looked like I was ready to have fun.

 _Unfortunately, not with Percy._

 _Silena: You..you haven't told Percy yet?_

I looked at her message for a while, sighing to myself.

 _Me: I..I did. Just today. I texted Percy how..how I felt. However, I..I might have sent it a bit too late. I..I don't know if it got through yet._

 _Silena: Hey, I'm sorry for that. I can sense that you really wanted to go with Percy._

 _Me: It's okay Silena. I still have you though. Girls night out like I said, right?_

 _Silena: Yeah. Hey, just to let you know beforehand, I absolutely SUCK at dancing._

I gave a little chuckle.

 _Me: Well, I suck at dancing too. So, you're in good company Silena._

Suddenly, I heard the doorbell ring. I was a little taken aback at first. However, I didn't think much of it.

 _Silena must've come early. Honestly, what happened to proper etiquette of texting or calling your friend first before you ring their doorbell?_

"Annabeth, can you get the door, please? I'm currently am binge-watching _Breaking Bad_ on Netflix and I do NOT want to get out of my bed!" Samantha yelled from her room.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes as I headed towards the front. Opening the door, I shook my head in disapproval.

"Okay, Silena. You know, I really should teach you some proper etiquette on.. " I began. I stopped dead in my tracks. My face expression went absolutely upside down. I looked at who was in front of me in shock.

There was Percy standing in the front of my apartment. He was wearing a blue suit along with some dress pants and a green tie on. Percy also was wearing a green dress shirt underneath. I also noticed that Percy had on some ocean-scented cologne, which smelled great.

Percy looked really REALLY good _._ Handsome even. The entire time, he was staring at me with those lovely sea-green eyes in amusement at my shock.

"Hey, my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. You ready for the concert?" he asked.

"P..Percy?" I said, blinking my gray eyes twice to make sure they weren't deceiving me. _What am I saying. I never mis-see what I see!_

 _Still, it..it couldn't be Percy!_

"Hey, again," he said.

"What? How? Aren't you? What!" I began.

Percy then gave a little chuckle at me."You know you stutter quite a bit when you're surprised, Wise Girl. I like that." he said continuing to smile.

"Percy what are you doing here! I..I thought..you're not supposed to be here! You..you have a date, right?"

"Yeah, but I realized I wanted to spend this Friday night with my awesome, amazing friend that I care a lot about too at a concert. I can't do that?" he asked. Percy's expression then assumed a more serious tone.

"I..I also saw your text message Annabeth, from earlier."

"You..you saw it?" I asked. Percy's serious expression returned back to a smile. "I..I did see your text. I..I really liked it. It was very heartfelt. Touching. I'm..I'm really moved that you bought these concerts tickets for me as a way to say that you care for me. I didn't realize how much it meant to you that I come."

"I mean, I love spending time with you Percy. You..you always make me feel happy." I told him.

"Me to. I..I also didn't realize how hurt you felt when I couldn't come to the concert." My expression turned hard. I began panicking, getting uneasy. That was such a big admission I made to Percy. I had been going back and forth while forming the text message, not sure if I should admit that to him.

I..I was scared about how Percy would react.

However, Percy's expression had a soft, sympathetic look the entire time. Percy took his hand and laced it into mine. "I..I didn't want to make you hurt Annabeth. I'm..I'm so sorry,"

"Percy, no you didn't make me hurt. It's just, I felt..pained, yes. Pained in the fact you couldn't come with me to the concert. But, you didn't.."

He cut me off. "Annabeth, you don't need to explain. You don't. I..I felt the same way as well. Hurt."

My gray eyes blinked at him, almost in disbelief. "R..Really?" I asked.

"Yes, absolutely Annabeth. I care for you a lot. I love spending time with you. The fact that I couldn't go at first absolutely hurt. It really did."

I didn't know whether to continue staring at him in awe (I would've done that though. Like I said, Percy looked amazing). Impulsively, I went to give Percy a big hug.

For once, Percy didn't complain about me not giving a warning. He just accepted my embrace as we continued to hug each other. The entire time, the only thing I could think of was _Percy is so freaking amazing_ and _oh that cologne smells REALLY good_.

I heard a beep coming from my phone. I took it out.

 _Silena: So, I'm ready Annabeth! Where should we meet up?_

"So, you ready for the concert my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl?" Percy then told me.

I gave a wide smile as I looked at him. "Yes, yes I am Seaweed Brain."

Before we left, I then pressed Silena's name and began typing out a message.

 _Annabeth: Hey Silena. Sorry. I..I have a change of plans tonight._

* * *

 **Concert**

 ** _ **(Annabeth POV)**_**

 _ **(A/N: I will be mentioning some songs in this chapter! By no means do you have to listen to them to get the sense of the scene. You can use your own songs if you'd like! However, I used the songs to help shape the feeling of each scene I think listening to them will help get a fuller sense of Annabeth's and Percy's concert experience :))**_

I couldn't contain how excited I was about going to this concert.

On the subway, I started shuffling around in my seat, like an excited little girl, moving my feet constantly, checking outside the subway every 5 seconds to see whether we arrived at our stop, even though I knew already when we would approach it. The entire time, Percy couldn't help but smile. And I couldn't help but smile widely as well.

 _Tonight is going to be awesome!_

Arriving at the West 4th Street station, we exited and made our way towards Washington Square Park. While walking, I made note of Percy's interesting choice of clothing.

"Care to explain wearing a suit and tie to a dance concert?" I asked grinning at him.

"Oh, um, yeah. I..I didn't have time to change my clothes. So, I thought, you know, just wear this. You..you don't like it?"

"No, I like it. You look..handsome Percy," I said, smiling at him.

"Well, handsome is not the look I'm aiming for when going to a dance concert but I'll take it," Percy replied as I laughed at him.

Arriving at the park, we then headed in. Showing our tickets to the security guards outside, we made our way towards the DJ stage. It was built right in front of the Washington Square Arch. We could see a bunch of strobe lights with different colors set up in the front, just waiting to be used and a big _Vicetone_ sign on the top. Giant speakers were placed to the left and right side of the stage.

It looked awesome.

A bunch of people had already gathered from before, anticipation present on their faces as they waited for the concert to start. Percy and I ended up settling on a spot towards the back, still with a great view of the DJ stand but away from all the crowds.

 _And more privacy._

It was still a few minutes before the show started. In the middle, I started to get a little cold. Tonight's weather was okay at around 50. However, a sudden breeze began to set in and I started feeling a little cold.

"Man, I should've bought a sweater or something. I'm feeling chilly now," I remarked as I started to hug myself for warmth.

"Oh," Percy replied, looking at me with a concerned look. He then said. "Do you want to wear my suit? It's pretty warm Annabeth."

I looked towards him. "Percy, no, that's too sweet. You don't need to do that!"

"Nonsense. I insist my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl," Percy smiling at me as he took off his suit. I smiled back at him and allowed Percy to fasten his suit on me. I felt myself getting warm instantly. It was extremely soft and cozy.

Finally, the show started. We cheered as the two DJs made their way on the stage.

"HEY HOW ARE YOU NEW YORK?" they screamed out to the crowd. We let out a WOO-HOO along with the crowd.

"YOU GUYS READY TO HAVE SOME FUN?" The crowd let out a big collective YES as they finally started playing the music. The strobe lights began to flick on and off with an assortment of colors. The music started to engulf Washington Square Park.

The first song they played was one of Vicetone's all-time classics: Vicetone ft Daniel Gidlund Chasing Time. The crowd screamed in excitement.

Speaking of the crowd, they were absolutely amazing. The whole time they were singing along with the lyrics, putting their hands up, dancing and jumping up and down to the beat. You could feel the energy and love they had for the music, the vibe infectious. The DJs, as well, were amazing. It was incredible how they were able to control the mood and atmosphere of the place with just a few clicks of a button.

Some people don't think djing is an art but I disagree. It's hard to make a whole collectively experience the same euphoric feeling at once.

During the middle, Percy called out my name.

"Hey Wise Girl! Remember when we had a little dance-off at school?"

I gave a little grin. "Yeah, I remember that. I won, didn't I?"

Percy frowned. "Ugh, you're so freaking competitive!" as I laughed.

"Well, we can always have a rematch, huh? Of course, I'M going to win again Seaweed Brain." I said, smiling.

Percy returned the smile. "It's SO on then Wise Girl."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

The next song they played was Calvin Harris ft. Example- We'll Be Coming Back

Annabeth then started dancing. I remember staring in awe the whole time as she danced. Annabeth looked amazing. Her movements were natural and graceful, the way Annabeth swayed side to side to the beat of the music, her hands up in the air in a carefree way, her feet moving softly and nimbly. Annabeth had a big smile on her face the entire time as her eyes were closed, letting the music overtake her. Annabeth always said she was a terrible dancer _(_ which she was by the way) but tonight, Annabeth had an aura of elegance that made watching her dance great. _Beautiful._ Annabeth started to sing the chorus of the song in the middle.

 _Standing in the light till it's over._

 _Someone had to draw a line_

 _We'll be coming back for you one day_

 _I don't even care if I know you, out of our minds_

 _Sad to leave it all behind_

 _We'll be coming back._

 _We'll be coming back for you one day._

Towards the song's end, randomly, Annabeth gave a little playful push at me, which caught me off guard.

"Hey!" However, Annabeth laughed out loud. Hearing that made me smile. Man, she was so at ease and relaxed tonight.

I absolutely loved it.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

The next song they started playing was _Calvin Harris ft_ Ne-Yo _\- Let's Go (Vicetone Remix)_

It was Percy's turn to dance. He was terrible, as expected. No groove or rhythm to his moves whatsoever. However, I didn't really care or make a big deal of it. _He looked so good and handsome._ Honestly, it didn't matter what moves he did or didn't make. If I was judge, I would've given Percy a 10 out of 10.

 _Gods, what are you saying Annabeth?_

After our dance competition, Percy then turned to me.

"So, what you think?" Percy said.

"You..you were alright. However, I still think I won, as usual,"

"Ugh, I hate to admit this but I have to agree," he moaned as I gave a little cheer. Percy didn't look disappointed though. He looked pleased actually.

We were approaching the middle-end of the set. The crowd, amazingly, still displayed the same level of intensity and energy that they had at the beginning of the show. The DJs started to switch up the music nicely, playing some hard big room to some trap, even throwing in some rock every now and then.

They then played a song called _Mako - Our Story._

The crowd started to put their hands up as the chorus. This was actually the very first time I ever heard this song. I slowly let myself get lost in the music as I heard the lyrics.

 _Take a look past our innocence, take a step back to yesterday_

 _When life would move slower, we would never grow up_

 _All we knew that love was for when we're older_

 _Anything could happen, secretly imagine_

 _They could never tear us apart too young to fall_

I started to get emotional as I heard these lyrics. Everything, the singing, lyrics, and music, was beautiful. Listening to these lyrics, I was reminded of Percy.

Man, I was so freaking lucky to have him in my life. Ever since I met him in middle school, he's been a big part of it. My dad's words _you two have a special, close connection_ began to ring in my head. Yes, we really did have a close, close connection!

And I was grateful for that. As the drop began approaching, I turned to Percy.

"Hey Percy"

"Yeah, Annabeth?" he asked

"I'm..I'm glad you're here with me," I said smiling at him

"Me too Wise Girl." he replied, smiling back.

The drop then came and we both absolutely lost it.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

The DJs played a few more songs. _Tritonal & Cash Cash - Untouchable_, a personal favorite of mine as well as one of their newer songs _Vicetone- I Hear You_

They were both really good.

"Alright everybody!" the DJs exclaimed as they lowered down the music to make an announcement "We're nearing the end of our set, unfortunately," There was collective aww from the crowd. I, as well as Annabeth, began to feel sad as well.

Tonight felt so perfect; we didn't want it to end.

"However, you guys were absolutely freaking incredible! We really felt your energy and love tonight! Thanks so much New York! So, as the last long, how about we play a classic?" The music came back on. The crowd let out a collective cheer and clap as they heard the song.

It was Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child.

"Oh, my gods!" Annabeth exclaimed as she started jumping up and down. "I absolutely love this song!"

"Same!" I said, excited as well. We started singing along to the lyrics.

After the first drop came, the crowd began going bananas, the second verse then came. Annabeth and I were singing along to the lyrics together.

 _There was a time_

 _I met a girl of a different kind._

 _We ruled the world,_

 _I thought I'd never lose her out of sight._

 _We were so young,_

 _I think of her now and then._

 _I still hear the songs_

 _Reminding me of a friend._

As I heard these lyrics, the one thing that came to mind was Annabeth. I looked over at her as she was next to me, singing the lyrics out loud. She looked absolutely beautiful tonight; her blond hair rolling down freely to her shoulders, gray eyes sparkling in the moonlight. I took hold of Annabeth's face; it was full of joy and happiness. I began to have flashbacks to the amazing times we had together when we were younger, together in middle school.

Impulsively, I pulled Annabeth next to me, embracing her, and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

I shouldn't have done that in hindsight. We both had our own girlfriend and boyfriend. However, I couldn't help it.

I was spending the night with the girl I loved and cared a lot about.

* * *

( _ **Annabeth POV)**_

In the middle of the song, Percy suddenly pulled me towards him and planted a kiss on my head.

I was taken aback by his forward behavior. Immediately, the rational part of me said. _What are you doing! I have a boyfriend. This is too much!_

However, I ignored it and allowed Percy to keep kissing my forehead. I liked it.

A LOT.

It felt so magical at the moment. The same feelings I felt when I kissed Percy on the cheek after Thanksgiving dinner began to flood in overwhelming droves inside me as he continued to kiss my forehead.

I began smiling widely. I allowed myself to ease up as we continued to dance embracing each other, my back against Percy's chest, for the rest of the time. I felt so calm and in ecstasy. I just felt..happy.

Finally, the show ended. I started frowning widely. I didn't want this end tonight. The night was too perfect for it to end this quickly.

We stayed for a while near the water fountain as the staff started to clean up the place. Some ravers began to ask for autographs from the DJs, who were standing by still, eager. I started to take in our surrounding backgrounds. Tonight was a very beautiful New York night. In the back, the WTC was standing tall and majestic.. In front, the Washington Arch was glowing beautifully in the night light. There were people entering the park now, some couples, enjoying a nice little stroll at night, holding hands, kissing each other.

It was beautiful.

"Percy," I slowly started as I looked at him. "I..I wanted to say thanks. A lot. For everything tonight."

Percy looked at me with a puzzled look. "Thanks? What are you telling me thanks for Annabeth? I'm the one that should be thanking you! You bought these tickets for me! And I had an awesome night!"

I smiled. "Yeah, me.. me too. Tonight was awesome. Just.. amazing." We went near each other and hugged. After our hugh, we stared at one another for a while. We continued to smile widely, taking each other's faces. For some reason, I started to think about what Silena told me.

 _You love him Annabeth, even if you don't realize it._

"Um, hey..hey Percy,"

"Uh, yeah Annabeth?" he replied.

"I..I" I wanted to say to Percy that I loved him. I've told him that numerous times in the past and I meant it. He was my best friend and I did love and care for him. ]]

It felt like the appropriate thing to do in that situation considering all the events.

But for some reason, I was hesitant. I was lingering for a while, going back and forth whether to say it to him. Flashbacks of me kissing Percy in Kingda Ka began to wade in my mind. I started feeling..worried, _scared,_ for some reason.

It felt so similar to when I was hesitant in revealing my feelings to Percy of feeling hurt. This I _I love you_ I was going to say felt different.

Really different.

It was not a _I love you as a friend_ kind of love. But, _I love you. Like love love you._

Love you more than a friend.

Whoa..

All of a sudden, I an angry female voice shouted in our direction.

"Percy!"

Immediately, Percy and I quickly separated from each other as we turned towards the angry voice.

It was Percy's girlfriend Rachel.

"Rachel?"

"Percy..I can't believe it!" Rachel yelled as she stormed at him. Rachel glanced at me, giving a side eye, anger present in her sharp green eyes. "I can't believe you would just cancel our date like that!"

"Rachel, you need to understand…" Percy uttered, trying to calm her down.

"No I can't! I can't understand why it seems like you like to hang out with Annabeth more than me! It's so fucking obvious now!" she screamed.

"Rachel," I interjected in the middle."I'm really sorry for this. I shouldn't have gone with Percy! This..this is my fault! It won't happen again!" I quickly said as I started to walk away.

"Annabeth, no!" Percy cried out, cutting me off. "This is not your fault!" Percy then turned to Rachel and grabbed her hands, an intent look in his eyes. "Rachel, look, I'm so sorry for canceling our date tonight. I really really am! I'll make it up to you! Anything. I swear upon the River Styx. But you have to understand that I had to go with Annabeth to this concert tonight. I just had to. Annabeth had planned it as a surprise, as a way to say she cares for me. She..she told me that she felt sad that I couldn't come with her. And I couldn't let her feel that way. I had to make Annabeth felt better! Please, Rachel, understand that! "

As Percy spoke to Rachel, the angry expression on her face slowly started to fade away. It was replaced with a softer look, one of understanding. Rachel gave a big sigh.

"I'm..I'm sorry babe. I.. I got all psycho and stuff when I saw you two hang out and get along really well. But I shouldn't have extended that to accuse you two of something." Rachel then turned to me. "Annabeth, I'm..I'm sorry as well. For being accusatory. I know you two are good friends. And that's all. I know Percy likes to be sweet with all his friends. Especially his close ones. I should know better as Percy's girlfriend." For some reason, I felt myself getting down when Rachel claimed Percy and I were just friends.

 _We were WAY more than that.._

Rachel then went up to Percy and gave him a big kiss on the lips.

"Can..can you forgive me?" Rachel hesitantly asked.

"Yes of course!" Percy said returning the kiss. I tensed up as I saw Percy and Rachel kiss. My mood, which had been so jubliant, now dampened. The smile on my face gone.

"Percy, I should go now. I need to get home soon, " I quickly stated as I started to walk towards the West 4th Street Station.

"Annabeth, wait!" Percy cried out as he ran towards me, grabbing my han. We faced one another. There was awkward silence for the while.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Percy stated. "I..I just want to say thanks Annabeth. Again. For tonight."

I gave a weak grin.."Yeah, thanks..thanks as well Percy," Percy slowly let go of my hand as I walked towards the subway, not looking back.

On the subway, I started to relisten to some of the awesome music that I heard in the concert. I was moving my head back and forth, sort of getting into the groove.

However, I didn't feel the same like in the concert. I felt some...disappointment.

I had no reason to be disappointed! Why should I? Tonight had been great! Awesome! Absolutely incredible! I was able to spend it with the one person I cared and loved spending time with! That's all I could've asked for.

However, I began to replay that kiss between Percy and Rachel. How uneasy and tense I became. I touched the spot on my head where Percy kissed me.

That kiss, which felt so magical during the concert, started to lose its magic as I continued to think about Percy and Rachel's kiss.

 _We're just friends. That's all._

Thinking about it over and over again, some peculiar feelings started to reemerge again within me. The same ones I felt when I thought Percy couldn't come with me to the concert in the first place. Feelings I felt when Percy told me he would ask Rachel out.

Sadness. Disappointment.

 _Some pain. Hurt. Hurt he was dating..Rachel..._

Ugh! I hate feelings...

* * *

 **Well, that's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it. We see that Annabeth is starting to be more confident in telling her feelings. She's scared. Like Percy, it's interesting how both are scared of how the other one reacts if they admit they're actual true feelings. For now, she admits that she is hurt when Percy can't come to the concert with her, which is great. However, when Annabeth is about to tell him she loves him (like love love), those same scared feelings come back to her.**

 **Also, if any of you are hating on Rachel right now, please don't :). I personally feel bad for her. She's a really nice and sweet person and I didn't want to make her evil like other fanfics do. It's unfortunate she's stuck in a bad situation with Percy's refusal to admit his feelings to Annabeth.**

 **Anyways, have a great day and please review!**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	11. Chapter 11- Note

**WOW! 58 favs and 91 follows! Also, those awesome comments last chapter. You guys are awesome. I love you all. I really do :D**

 **If anyone read the comment I posted to my own story, I had mentioned that I had a change of plans for Chapter 11. This chapter will be a Christmas themed special for our story's timeline. I had originally planned two chapters, the pre-Christmas and then Christmas, but I felt it was better suited if I combined the two. The events of one spill over to the other and 11 would've felt just like a filler, which I don't really like. So, as you can probably tell, this is a SUPER SUPER long chapter lol. Anticipate great Christmas moments and of course drama.**

 **So enjoy this nearly 24,000-word chapter. Crazy I know :PP  
**

 ** _ **(A/N: Forgive if the chapter has any typos or sentence structure errors, which might be QUITE a bit. Oops :/)  
**_**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Note**

 **Christmas Gift**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Hey, Friday night must've been fun, huh?" Piper teased as she came to my locker Monday morning, big grin present on her face. Silena and Hazel were also present, similar expressions on their faces.

I looked at Piper, eyes wide. "Piper! How do you ... why am I even asking that question? I already know the answer. _Word gets around quick in our gang Annabeth!"_ mimicking Piper's voice.

Piper laughed. "You are a _really_ quick learner Miss Princess!" she teased, using that nickname, which made me irritated. I liked it when Percy used that name but not Piper.

 _Weird._

"So?"

"I believe the appropriate response would be MYOB." I countered.

Silena rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Annabeth! We're your friends! We just want to know what our other two friends did together this Friday night, that's all!"

"Ok, you KNOW that's not true!" I exclaimed.

"Maybe. Anyways Annabeth, it's the least you can do for me for canceling our girl's night out."

I winced. "Hey, I thought you forgave me for that Silena..."

"Annabeth, it's ok! I said that numerous times already! It really is! I WANTED you two to go together," Silena responded, all the while grinning. I tried my very VERY best to ignore that. "However, the trade-off is you tell me how your night with Percy went. Deal?"

"Honestly, this scene feels like deja vu again." I muttered, harkening back to inside Forever 21.

"Yeah, and like before, you're going to tell us cause you're so freaking awesome!" Silena exclaimed.

"You girls are annoying." I scoffed, which got some smirks. I sighed a little and then let up. I looked around the hallway, hoping that no one else overheard what I was about to say.

"Fine. I ... I had a good time. Great time actually. Percy and I danced together and enjoyed the music. It was pretty awesome." I stated. Of course, I left out the part when Percy kissed me on the forehead in the middle.

Because you know how my friends are.

"Wow, that sounds great!" Hazel noted. "Seemed like you had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, I ... I did have fun." However, I started to remember back at the end of the concert. How Rachel ended up storming in on the two of us. How... sad, a little hurt, I felt when I saw the two kiss.

 _Also, how I was hesitant to say I love you to Percy. How I started tensing up, getting scared, afraid. Like I meant it not as an "I care for you" but..._

"Is something wrong Annabeth?" Hazel asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Huh?" I responded, shaking off my momentary daze. "No, it's ... at the end of the concert, Rachel had come between Percy and me. She was pretty angry at him for canceling their date. I ... I feel responsible for that."

Silena stepped in. "Hey Annabeth, don't feel that way! It was Percy's decision to go with you. And actually, maybe I shouldn't tell you this," she started, lowering her voice. "I was texting Rachel yesterday. She made mention of Percy canceling their date. She was disappointed at first but Percy took her out on a date the next day. She had a great time. Rachel is feeling better now so you shouldn't worry too much."

"Oh, that's ... that's great," I responded. However, a part of me got down at the mention of _date._

"Really, don't be worried! Besides, aren't you a little flattered Percy cared that much to go with you?"

"Um, kind of," I answered. "I ... I never realized how much it means for Percy to spend time with me."

"Honestly, Miss Princess, you don't realize A LOT of things," Piper interjected. It looked like she had meant it as a joke. However, the face she had made was one of seriousness, almost pity, for me.

I sighed and turned back to my locker, trying to find my math textbook, However, out of the corner of the hallway, Percy turned, walking towards me.

When I saw him, instinctively, I started to smile. Good vibes began to set off. My friends, noticing Percy, all silently left, leaving the two of us alone in the hallway.

 _Oh, great._

However, I still felt happy. That weird urge again to check if I looked good came back. Percy flashed his amazing sarcastic grin at me, which I absolutely loved.

By impulse, I ran up to Percy and hugged him.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Friday night was amazing.

I really can't remember feeling more happy or alive as I was the entire night just dancing and enjoying the music. From the looks of it, Annabeth had a wonderful time as well. She had been smiling the entire time, her attitude absolutely carefree and laidback.

And I loved seeing that.

Unfortunately, at the same time, I had to cancel my date with Rachel. I did feel bad and sorry of course. It ... it sucked that Annabeth's concert she planned to go with me happened to be occurring at the same time.

 _You know, it really is hard when you have a girlfriend and someone else you care about to worry simultaneously._

Later on, thankfully, I was able to make it up with Rachel. I took her out on a date to this sushi restaurant near Times Square called _Sushi Yasuda,_ Rachel's choice. However, I did say that everything would be on me. And Rachel gladly abused that privilege, ordering extra appetizers and sushi. I felt like I just drank from the River of Fire as I took a look at the check at the end of the night.

However, I swallowed it up. _It's just the sacrifices you make as a boyfriend I guess._

Headed back to school Monday, I was intent on telling Annabeth just how truly awesome a time I had. She had left abruptly before I had a chance to. Inside the school, I made my way towards her locker. Turning the corner, I then saw Annabeth. Noticing me, Annabeth let out a big smile, causing me to smile widely.

Man, her smile always has that ability on me.

 _Is that weird to say even if I have a girlfriend? No, it isn't, right?_

"Wise Girl, how are ya?" I asked out loud.

"Seaweed Brain!" she exclaimed. As she rushed towards me, Annabeth had a look on her face that read _I'm going to give you a classic Annabeth-punch now._ However, instead, Annabeth tackled me in a big hug and laughed, making me laugh as well.

 _She's starting to hug me a lot more now than punch. That's kinda refreshing..._

"Hey!" I responded, studying Annabeth's expression. "So, how are you?"

Annabeth smiled. "Awesome! That Friday concert was un-freaking-believable!"

"Yeah, I know! Our first one as well and it was amazing!"

"We should definitely do this again! How about Kaskade next? Heard they're playing in New York this coming spring!"

"Sounds great Wise Girl! Although next time, I'LL be buying the tickets thank you very much!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and grinned. "You're such a gentleman Seaweed Brain. How sweet." which made me laugh. We continued to smile at each other the rest of the time, not saying anything. I was fine with it though. I could've stayed that way forever. Her smile was worth a million golden drachmas.

However, out of the corner of the hallway, my girlfriend approached us, screaming my name out jubilantly.

"Hey, Percy!" Rachel exclaimed. Annabeth's smile faded. It was replaced with uneasiness.

 _Worry._

"Percy, I, uh, I should go now. My..my art class is.. soon." Annabeth stammered as she headed towards the opposite direction.

"Annabeth, wait!" I cried out, grabbing her hand before she could leave.

 _Gods I need to tell her how I feel!_

"Percy, I really need to.."

"Annabeth, please, I ... I want to say something!" I began, making her gray eyes look into my eyes directly. We stared at one another for a while, this time awkward than the first.

I wanted to say how much fun I had spending time with her. How Friday night was amazing and special.

 _Just how special Annabeth was to me..._

However, I didn't. I couldn't say that. It's just ... no. That was too open. _Too freaking honest._ I wasn't ready to say it.

 _Probably never will._

"I wanted to say thanks. Again. For inviting me Annabeth." I told her, putting on a little smile as I forced my feelings down. Annabeth slowly smiled back.

"Yeah. Me ... me too Percy" she slowly responded. More silence afterward pursued. Trying to lessen the awkwardness, I then quickly joked, "Hey, uh, you know, I hope that concert wasn't meant to be my Christmas gift Wise Girl!"

Annabeth's expression softened. It was replaced with a soft smile. "That wasn't your Christmas present Seaweed Brain..." she replied.

"I mean, if it was, I would be perfectly fine with it in all honesty!"

"Well, first it wasn't. Second, I'm GOING to find you something awesome for Christmas. So you better watch your back there!"

I sighed. "Ugh, why do you treat everything I tell you like it's a challenge, Wise Girl?" I asked frowning. Annabeth gave a little cute laugh though, which made me smile again. Annabeth looked like she wanted to continue talking, as did I. However, as Rachel neared me, Annabeth quickly left. The last glimpse I saw of her face was one of some sadness, frustration, maybe even _hurt_ if I'm being honest.

 _Oh man._

"Hey, how are you, babe!" Rachel happily declared as she came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "That dinner Saturday night was GREAT. I absolutely loved it!"

"Yeah, it ... it was great," I slowly responded. However, my mind was still consumed by my interaction with Annabeth and how weird it was.

Goodness, why can't things just be like before between us?

* * *

 **Honesty**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I hate myself.

I act so weird at times. I tense up when Rachel comes. I end up leaving mid-conversation, even though Percy looked like he still wanted to talk, as did I.

Even worse, I felt irritated. I wasn't walking to my art class; stomping would be a better description. My face expression was sullen and I was moaning to myself.

 _Rachel and Percy are hanging out. Freaking Rachel and Percy!_

I was feeling jealous again.

 _Oh no ... gods, I thought I got over this a LONG time ago! Man, this feels even WORSE than before!_

Yet, I couldn't think about this issue for too long. Not when there was a more pressing manner to deal with.

 _Hope that concert wasn't meant to be my Christmas present..._

Man, what WILL I get for Percy for Christmas? That hadn't even occurred to me until NOW. That concert was just a little way to repay Percy for his Thanksgiving surprise.

But his gift, for the biggest freaking holiday of the year? That would take some more thought.

 _And some Olympus-level creativity._

Yeah, this was a challenge. _Seaweed Brain is right. I do treat these sort of things like challenges WAY too much._

A week and a half had passed then passed It was now Thursday, the final and last day of school for the whole year. Christmas was a little less than 5 days from now on Monday. Throughout last week, there was general excitement and anticipation in the air for the holidays to start. My friends were all in a wonderful mood, eager for the break. Mr. Chiron had been wearing his Santa hat every day during this past week. Even Mr. D acted less like an ass during the final school announcements of the year, which was welcome.

However, still, after all that time, I had no idea what I would Percy for Christmas.

 _And it was less than a week from now!_

Shoot!

Getting out of my 7th-period class, I was about to head to my last, creative writing, when all of a sudden, I saw my boyfriend in the hallway.

"Luke, hey!" I exclaimed coming up to him.

"Oh, hey babe," Luke responded, giving me a small smile. However, it was clear Luke was annoyed about something. His face was in a scowl. Luke's eyebrows were scrunched together. He was in a "bad Luke" mode, which I didn't like.

"Okay. What is it?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"Ugh I'm still so fucking pissed we lost that game Saturday! It was so close as well! 23 to fucking 22! Shit, if only I hadn't thrown that interception earlier in the 4th quarter, we could've scored and won! ONLY IF!"

I sighed out loud. "You're STILL angry about that Luke? It's been a few days already!" I told him, my face in a frown. This past Saturday, the CHB team lost in the semi-finals against our rivals the Romans (in hindsight, kind of ironic considering Luke was bashing them earlier in the year). The week leading up to the game, Luke had been so freaking busy, laser-focused on football and football only. In fact, he had been like that the ENTIRE season. I could barely talk or speak to my boyfriend without him fuming over something football related.

"Annabeth, of course, I am! We were supposed to win the whole damn championship this year as well! It was our fucking time!" Luke cried out, frustration clear in his voice and attitude. I rolled my eyes.

 _Goodness, Luke took football WAY too freaking seriously. If only he took me as seriously..._

Whoa, Annabeth, be careful what you're saying! This is your boyfriend. You can't say that.

"Hey, cheer up," I then stated, putting an arm on Luke's shoulder to comfort him. "There is always next year, right? Besides, we're going to Willowbrook Mall tomorrow. So cheer up!"

"Oh, crap, yes, yes we are!" he exclaimed. "You know what, that's great actually! I have some things to buy for some very important people."

"Ooo, you do?" I posed in a teasing manner, smiling at Luke and getting close to hi. "What would those _things_ be, huh?"

"Um, I'm not sure? Perfume? A sweater? I'm planning to go to Victoria's Secret maybe." he said, grinning.

"Oh," I replied, my voice getting down. I slowly got away from Luke. I didn't let it show but I was kind of bummed.

 _R_ _eally, shopping at Victoria's Secret for your girlfriend?_ Don't get me wrong, the store is alright. It's just, Christmas. You could do better, right?

 _Especially for me!_

"Well, I should be going. I have P.E now. Can't wait to kick Beckendorf's ass in basketball, again, for the last time this year! That will definitely cheer me up. See you tomorrow babe!" Luke finally said giving me a kiss on the cheek as he left.

I nodded. I then, slowly, sighed again to myself, as Luke got out of sight.

 _My boyfriend can act so obtuse at times._

I proceeded to my creative writing class, feeling a little down. Headed inside, however, I already found Percy sitting in his spot, on his phone. He was wearing his Santa hat today, which looked great on him. Instantly, my mood brightened up. I started smiling. I began to forget about my little interaction with my boyfriend as I went up to Percy and high-fived him.

"Hey Seaweed Brain!" I said as I sat down.

"My Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. How are ya?" he asked, giving me a sly smile. Like always, I got red at the name.

 _Wow, he's still using that name?_

I then joked about it. "You know, it's nearing the end of the year, Percy. Name's getting a bit old, don't you think?"

"Not for me. I like the name," Percy commented. I laughed.

 _Yeah, I'll never get old with the name either._

We continued to talk for the while. In the middle, our writing teacher, Miss Thompson, stood up and faced the class.

"Alright, everyone! I just want to say, first, obviously I hope you all have an excellent winter break! When I see you again, it will be a new year! Isn't that amazing? So, for our last assignment, I thought you all could write about your plans for Christmas. Feel free to talk about it with your nearby classmates, as always!"

After Miss Thompson finished talking, I turned to Percy. "So, what you have planned for Christmas Seaweed Brain?" I asked.

"Um, not much to be honest. My dad Poseidon is visiting me from Washington, which I'm super excited about. We're going to eat out together with my mom for breakfast Christmas morning. I ... I also might take Rachel out somewhere as well. Rockefeller Center? Just hope it's not crowded as hell that day."

"Oh, that's ... that's cool," I answered, giving Percy a little smile. However, again, I got down at the mention of Rachel, that weird sense of jealousy slowly but surely creeping in.

However, I hid it.

"You know, you could come with us Annabeth! Maybe you can ... bring Luke with you." Percy said. I noticed Percy's voice stopped mid-sentence before he mentioned Luke.

"No, that's okay Percy. But thanks for offering. Luke and I are planning to go ice skating at this private ice rink near his house for Christmas."

"Oh, that's..that's great. Wish I could come but, um, you know.." Percy slowly uttered, not finishing the sentence. I nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, Percy did not know how to skate. Percy told me that when he was younger, his mom took him skating at the YMCA ice rink. Percy ended up tripping and falling, badly breaking his right ankle and shoulder.

Ever since Percy had been hesitant, maybe even a little scared, to skate again.

I felt sorry for him.

"Hey, that's fine Percy! Besides, we're hanging out tomorrow at the mall, right? So that's great."

Percy's expression lit up. "Oh yes! I can't wait! Gods, I'm so looking forward to getting a cheesy Wetzel Pretzel. I haven't had one in ages!"

I laughed. "Same! You know what, you and me. Wetzel Pretzel immediately when we get in!"

"Sounds like a good strategy Wise Girl," he started making me smile. Percy's lips then formed into a grin.

"You know, thinking about it Annabeth, tomorrow is a great chance to get started with your Christmas present search for me!" he teasingly said.

I gave a little laugh at his joke. However, the same, unanswered question of _what will I get for Percy_ reemerged in my mind.

"Haha, very funny Seaweed Brain! Right back at you big guy." I said, giving him a little punch on the shoulder.

"Ow! Dammit! I thought we got over the _you-punching-me randomly_ phase." he said frowning as I grinned. "Anyways Annabeth, I'm sure anything you give will be great. You shouldn't worry too much."

I gave a nod in appreciation of his statement. "And I'm sure your gift will be lovely too Percy," I responded. However, I didn't want Percy's gift to be just fine. I wanted it to be awesome.

Amazing.

 _Of course, the difficult part is finding that awesome, amazing gift. If it even exists._

Pretty soon, the bell rang. The students in our class than rushed out, eager to finally enjoy their winter break freedom. Percy stood up, about to head out as well. Before he left, he then turned towards me.

"Catch you tomorrow then my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl?" he said giving me his usual Percy smile.

"Alright, then Seaweed Brain." I replied smiling at him. Percy then exited, leaving me alone in class. Today, I actually had plans after school to go hang out at Piper's place. However, I had something important I needed to do beforehand.

I slowly went up to my teacher.

"Um, excuse me, Miss Thompson." I slowly asked as I approached her desk. She then turned.

"Oh, yes, hi Annabeth? One of my favorite students! How are you?"

I started to beam. Miss Thompson was one of my favorite teachers in the school. She was a such a lovely and sweet person. I could be pretty open with her when it came to my writing, or life in general.

She was simply, awesome.

 **(A/N: I modeled Miss Thompson off one of my favorite English teachers in high school :). I didn't give her real last name but she's impacted my life a lot :D)**

"I'm great. You excited for the holiday?"

"Absolutely! My mother is coming over to visit. So I'm pretty excited."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Hope you have fun!"

"Thank you! So what's up Annabeth. How can I help?" Miss Thompson asked as she brought a chair over so I could sit next to her.

"Um, this..this may be a little personal. And it's okay if you don't want or feel uncomfortable helping. But I need help with a Christmas note that I'm making for a.. a friend of mine. I want to see if you like it." I began.

(Yes, if you're wondering, that friend is Percy. Hmm, how'd you guess?)

"Oh, of course! Not a problem! I don't mind. Do you want to share who this person is? Dad? Boyfriend?"

"No! It's..it's private! I don't want to say. Sorry, it's just, this person .. is special. That's all I want to reveal." I quickly said.

Miss Thompson gave a little chuckle. "Alright, that's fine Annabeth. Let's take a look, shall we?" She then grabbed my note and started to read it.

After she finished, Miss Thompson looked up at me, smiling. "First off, it's very lovely Annabeth. I'm pretty sure he/she will love it."

"Thanks. I hope so too. But, I wanted to ask whether you think there's anything else I should add? Like, something I left out possibly?"

"Hmm." Miss Thompson mused, thinking about my question. Eventually, after a while, she said "Well, for one, you could always be more honest about how you feel about this person,"

"Um, what do you mean?".

"Annabeth, I'm assuming that you came to me for help because this _friend_ of yours is very special to you. Right?"

"Yes, he .. this person is."

"So, write that. Write just how special this person is to you. Just explain to them how much they mean to you in your life. How they make you happy. How much you love them. Things of that nature." As my writing teacher told me that, I started to feel weird, similar to when Samantha, Silena, and my dad told me the same piece of advice.

 _Be honest._

Honest? Gods, how much of honest do I need to be? I've been honest enough already!

"I don't know Miss Thompson. That..that sounds a bit too much. Like TOO honest. I don't know if that's good or not." I told her.

"How can being honest NOT be good Annabeth?" Miss Thompson retorted.

"I..I feel like certain feelings you have for people should be kept..hidden from them. They shouldn't be let out."

Miss Thompson put a hand on my shoulder. "Annabeth dear, this may sound cliche, but Christmas is the time of year to tell those that are special to you just how much you love and care for them, right? How can you do that if you're not honest? If you're keeping certain feelings a secret from them?"

"Yeah, I.. I know that. But again, that's a cliche, right?" I pointed out.

Miss Thompson laughed at my somewhat smart-ass comment. "Annabeth, that may be true. But I would say this. I don't think it's ever cliche to tell those who are special to you how truly special they are. It's never cliche to be honest with yourself and your feelings. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I..I guess so."

"So that's my advice Annabeth." she finally said as Miss Thompson stood up from her desk. "I'm so sorry but I have to leave now. I need to get to a doctor's appointment soon,"

"No, that's okay Miss Thompson. I should be leaving as well. Anyways, thanks so much for helping! Have a great holiday and Happy New Year!"

"Same to you too my dear!" she replied. I then exited the classroom, my mind pondering over Miss Thompson's advice.

After getting back home from Piper's house, I then headed into my room and went to my desk. I sat down, taking my Christmas note out.

 _Just be honest._

In the middle, I looked at the two sketchbooks I had on my shelf, the new one that my dad gave to me for Christmas and the one from Percy. I began getting nostalgic as I thought about Percy's gift. I still remember that moment almost like it was yesterday. It was such a sweet thing that Percy had done.

He didn't have to give me that sketchbook!

But he did. No one else had ever done the same! Whenever I see Percy, I can't help but think about my sketchbook.

 _Just tell this person how special they are. How much you love them.  
_

I took a deep breath and, slowly, began to write my Christmas note to Percy.

* * *

 **Bus Trip**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_ **  
**

New York, overall, is great.

We have a pretty reliable, although at many times frustrating, subway system. Awesome food, especially New York pizza ( _talking to you Joe's!)_. Also, not to mention your local bodega store is open 24/7, which has come quite handy at times when I was craving a Slurpee at 2 am in the morning.

However, probably the one thing all New Yorkers can agree upon is that the prices at our stores suck. Like, REALLY sucks.

Especially during Christmas time.

That was why the gang had decided to go to Willowbrook Mall in nearby New Jersey to do our Christmas shopping there. Yes, we would rather go through the burden of going all the way across state just to shop then do it here.

That's how bad the prices are.

Taking the bus from Port Authority, we arrived at Willowbrook Mall in around an hour. All of my friends pretty much came. My girlfriend Rachel, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth of course. So I was pretty stoked.

However, Annabeth's boyfriend Luke came as expected, along with his other friends as well as Drew.

 _Ugh, Drew._

So that kinda made this mall trip less fun.

Heading out the bus, I made my way across the parking lot towards the front mall entrance. I had several things to do today. Find mom, dad, Rachel a gift.

 _Also, find Annabeth a gift._

Halfway to the mall entrance, Luke suddenly went up and pulled me to the side.

"Hey, uh, Percy." Luke began, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, um, hey Luke, " I replied, caught off guard by the fact that Luke was, like, SPEAKING to me in the first place. "W..What's up dude?" I stammered.

"I..uh, I heard that you and Annabeth went to a concert together this Friday night. I also learned that you helped her dad come over for Thanksgiving."

"Oh." I then replied, tensing up. _Shit, this dude's a football player! He could kick my ass quickly for being near his girlfriend!_ "Hey man, I'm sorry if you took all that the wrong way! I wasn't trying to.."

"Hey, no it's..it's cool dude!" Luke responded, noticing my uneasiness. He flashed me his mischievous grin and chuckled. "I know you're with Rachel now and that's nice. I just wanted to say thanks."

"Um, thanks?" I asked, not sure where Luke was headed with this discussion.

"Yeah, I want to thank you, for being Annabeth's friend. For caring about her. It's great that she has someone to talk to and spend time with."

"Um, yeah I..I like spending time with Annabeth." I said under my breath. It didn't seem like Luke heard it though as he continued his speech.

"I mean, it's relieving! Like Annabeth can go on and on at times talking about her issues and problems. I'm busy with football season and my other friends man! At the end of the day, the last thing I want to hear is all that girly stuff. So, it's great Annabeth has someone to talk to about it."

"Yeah, no..no problem dude," I slowly muttered. However, I felt myself getting angry at Luke, though I didn't show it.

 _Don't want to hear about Annabeth's problems? Isn't that what her boyfriend is SUPPOSED to do?_

"Again, thanks, man," he declared, giving me a hard pat on the back, almost making me choke a bit. "I'll see you inside. Maybe you and Rachel can go chill with Annabeth and me during lunch." as he rushed towards the entrance, leaving me to muse over what Luke said.

I decided to spend the first hour looking around the mall. Our friends went straight to the Apple Store to check out their new iPhones. However, Annabeth, Luke, Rachel, and I decided to go to Macy's.

Entering the store, we took a moment to appreciate how nicely the place had been decorated to fit the Christmas holiday, The store employees had on a red and white work attire, some wearing Santa hats. They all had a cheerful look on their face, greeting us amiably as we walked past them. Christmas music was blaring on the store's sound system, the current song playing _Dean Martin's-Let it Snow._ In addition, some little Christmas trees with ornaments and bells were placed around the store, which I thought was cool. I even saw some little kids roaming around the store with oversized Santa hats, which was really cute.

For the next few minutes, the four of us looked around Macy's. Eventually, we came to the jewelry section, where the girls began to look at the various items they had on display, Luke and I hanging out in the back.

Eventually, after a while, I heard Annabeth exclaim. "Oh my goodness, look at this!" as she pointed to something behind the glass. I came over to see what she was pointing at.

It was an owl necklace. Its chains were silver colored and interlocked with one another in a detailed way. The top of the owl was made up of gold while its eyes and body a shiny type of blue crystal with little engravings on it.

It looked great.

"That's nice," Rachel noted as she and Annabeth peered over the glass.

"It's beautiful! I love owls! They're one of my favorite animals, considered extremely wise and intelligent by many. Man, I would love to have this! " Annabeth declared as she looked over to Luke. Annabeth looked excited, her face in a wide smile, gray eyes twinkling, which made me smile. Annabeth usually wasn't into jewelry so the fact that she really liked this one was telling.

However, Luke then came over towards us at the mention of his name, taking notice of the owl necklace. His eyes then widened as he looked at the price tag.

"Wow, that's pretty expensive Annabeth. $150!"

"Yeah but it's really nice though Luke," she responded, her face in a plea almost.

"Annabeth, I know. But you have a necklace already, don't you?" he said as he pointed to Annabeth's neck. It was our friendship necklace.

"Yeah, but.." she started.

"Annabeth, I love you, but I don't think I can afford that. Sorry, but I'll buy you something that will be awesome! Like a really nice sweater..."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to continue arguing. However, eventually, she relented. "O..Okay Luke," she finally uttered, the smile on her face slowly fading. I got sad seeing that expression. I again began to get angry at Luke.

Man, who gives a shit if it was $150? If I happened to be dating someone as awesome as Annabeth (which I'm not! I'm.. I'm making a point to be clear!), I would've bought that necklace regardless of price!

"Hey, Percy!" Rachel called out in the middle of my thoughts. "You think this looks good on me?" she asked showing me a blue necklace with some pearls on it. It did look really nice on her. However, my mind was still focused on Annabeth and that owl necklace.

"Um, yeah, yeah it does look..good" I replied.

"Um, alright then," Rachel answered, giving an awkward laugh at me at my weird reply, turning to look at some more jewelry.

* * *

 **Competing Advice**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

It sucked that the owl necklace was expensive.

I really liked it. It was beautiful, well designed, and was of my favorite animal.

It was perfect.

However, Luke .. Luke was right. It was pricey. Plus, he was going to get me something else for Christmas. And, like he mentioned, I already had a necklace.

 _And I don't even like jewelry all that much. I don't need it!_

Yet, I still felt a weird sense of disappointment.

Exiting out of Macy's, Luke turned to me. "Hey Annabeth, sorry but I have to go now. I planned to meet up with Drew before lunch to help her find a gift for her dad."

"Oh, really?" I slowly said, gritting my teeth at the mention of Drew. I still hadn't forgiven her for instigating the drama between Percy and me.

"Yeah. Again, I'm sorry Annabeth. Look, I'll meet up with you in lunch, okay? See you later babe." he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. He then turned to Percy.

"Hey Jackson, take care of her, alright?"

"Yeah, no problem Luke. I will," Percy replied, giving a little nod as Luke walked away, leaving me with Rachel and Percy. Immediately, I started to felt uneasy being around them.

 _Man, I'm feeling this SO much more now!_

However, Percy turned to the both of us. "Uh, you girls mind if you go with me to find a gift for my mom? Seems like a good time to do so."

"Yeah, of course!" both Rachel and I exclaimed at the same time. Even if I felt uncomfortable around Rachel, I was determined to help Percy at all costs to find the perfect gift for his mom.

The three of us walked around the mall for a few minutes, heading first to Bath and Body Works to look around at the new items they had on display. Rachel went to the perfume section and began trying on some new scents. I was looking around at the candle section when, suddenly, Percy came to me.

"Hey, uh, Annabeth," he began.

"Percy?" I replied, looking at him, confused.

"Look, I wanted to say I'm really sorry."

"Uh, what are you talking about?"

"I saw how much you really liked that owl necklace at Macy's before Annabeth. It sucks that Luke couldn't buy it for you."

"How..how do you.." I began, surprised by Percy's keen and accurate observation.

Percy gave a little smile. "I know you Annabeth. I know the way you look when excited. Or the way you look when you're..sad." he softly said, putting his hand on me in a comforting manner. "I feel bad that you couldn't have that necklace. I'm really sorry." Percy continued giving me a sympathetic look. I couldn't help but grin a bit as Percy said that.

Gods, Percy always had this uncanny ability to read me. He was annoyingly good at it.

 _That's why he's special to me. And why I.. like him._

A lot.

"Yeah, it sucks," I admitted to him. "That necklace was really beautiful."

"Yeah, it was. It would have looked beautiful on you too." I smiled widely at Percy's comment. I started to instantly feel warm and better.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain." I wanted to go and hug Percy right then and there. However, in the middle, Rachel called out to Percy, asking him to try on this new cologne they had.

My mood dampened.

"I'm going to check out the new hand lotions they have now Percy." I slowly declared as I turned around.

"Annabeth, stop, please," Percy quickly said as he grabbed my hand.

I turned to him. "Percy, let me.."

"Annabeth! I don't want you to keep feeling down for thinking that you interrupted my date with Rachel! Please stop feeling that way!"

"Percy, I'm not feeling down!"

"Annabeth, I know you! You can't keep lying about it, okay? You feel bad about it! But don't feel that way! Rachel's forgiven me and I took her out on a date the day after! You need to understand."

"Percy, gods, I'm not feeling down about it, okay?" I exclaimed, my voice rising. I felt a mixture of frustration, anger, and other weird emotions in me.

It wasn't that I was still guilty about interrupting Percy's date. I wasn't. I already knew from Silena that Rachel and Percy had made up to each other. Rachel seemed to be feeling better as well.

 _I don't know. It was something else that was bothering me..._

I then took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to shrug off these stupid emotions. "Percy, let's just go find your mom a gift, okay? Banana Republic should be close by I think. Let's go!" I finally declared as I walked away.

Entering the store, we went straight towards the women's clothing section. Percy began to venture around. However, the whole time, Percy kept giving me worried glances, making sure that I was okay. I gave a small smile every time he looked at me for reassurance.

 _I wasn't feeling down! Why would I feel down? Gods, stop trying to read my emotions Seaweed Brain!_

"Percy, this would look awesome on your mom, don't you think?" Rachel stated as she went towards him, showing Percy a fancy blue woolen scarf coupled with a nice pom beanie winter hat. There was also some blue woolen gloves that came along with it.

They were quite expensive but nice.

"Wow, that looks awesome Rachel!" Percy responded as he grabbed the hat and glove from her. "So soft and warm!"

"Yeah, it is! Your mom would absolutely LOVE it, Percy!" Rachel turned to me. "Right Annabeth?"

I looked at the both of them. "Um, it's..it's really nice guys," I managed to say.

However, something was bothering me. Don't get me wrong. The scarf and hat were pretty, no question about it. And I'm sure Miss Jackson (she insists me on calling her Sally but that sounds weird) would have loved it.

But, I knew Miss Jackson, er, Sally, enough from spending time at Percy's place when I was younger. She wasn't a fashion or materialistic driven person. Sally was simple-minded, someone who enjoyed the little things in life.

This gift..it didn't seem her.

I took a deep breath beforehand, trying to form the exact words I would use. I slowly began.

"Percy, I don't think that's the correct gift for your mom."

"Um, w..what?" Rachel asked. Her face, which had been excited, quickly turned to confusion.

"Rachel, don't get me wrong! It's..it's nice. It's.. it's just not the right gift for Percy's mom."

"Annabeth, how can it NOT be the right gift! It's beautiful!"

"Yes, I know. It's .. Percy.." I said, turning to him. "I know your mom. She's not into fashion or trendy things. This may be too much for her."

"Oh COME ON Annabeth!" Rachel yelled, shaking her head in absolute bewilderment at me. Her expression hardened. Her green eyes looked a little fierce. She then turned to Percy.

"Percy, this gift is great. Come on! You have to agree with me, right?"

"Um, I.." Percy said.

"Percy." I quickly interjected, my voice firm and loud. I had a weirdly serious look on my face. In all honesty, I shouldn't have cared what Percy got for his mother. As I said, Sally would have loved anything Percy gave her.

Plus, arguing with Rachel in front of Percy felt weird. Out of place.

 _Not a good thing to do basically._

I already acted strange and out-of-character around Rachel. However, as someone who cared for Percy a lot, I felt the responsibility and duty placed on me to make sure Percy got those he was close with the correct gift. And Sally would not have wanted her own son to pester her with fancy gifts.

I knew that for a fact.

I started to think about some of Miss Jackson's favorite things in life. That included Percy, her family.

 _Also, she did say she was an aspiring writer..._

It then hit me.

 _A..a notebook! Yes, that's it! That's the perfect gift for Percy's mom!_

"Percy, you should get your mom a notebook instead!" I exclaimed.

"A notebook?" Rachel and Percy said at the same time, weird looks on their faces.

"Yeah. A notebook! Your mom is an aspiring novelist Percy! A notebook would be perfect! It doesn't have to be an expensive one though. It could be a very simple leather one for instance. Blue, of course, if possible. I think they should have some at nearby Brookstone."

"A notebook.." Rachel repeated as if the idea was comical like _really a notebook vs a nice fancy scarf and hat? Is that even a debate?_

However, I continued with my speech.

"Also, Percy, I..I should also say. I think that you need to focus more on your Christmas note to your mom than the gift."

"Annabeth," Percy finally said, staring at me intently. Percy had been silent the entire time. His face was confused, unsure where I was going with my advice.

"What do you mean?"

I began to think back to what my writing teacher said, how she told me I should be honest in my own Christmas note to Percy. I thought back to the conversations I had with Silena, Samantha, and dad, who all gave the same advice.

It was important to tell Percy this.

 _It was important for me._

"Percy, I know how much your mom means to you. She's a very special person in your life. And, it's important to tell those you're close to how.. special they are, especially on a holiday like Christmas." For a split second, my mind thought of Percy. However, I shook that thought away and went back to my speech.

"That's why you shouldn't obsess too much about buying something fancy or expensive for your mom. She'll be happy with anything you give her. She loves you that much. However, your note is crucial. It's important to tell your mom how special she is. How you love her a lot."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

As Annabeth finished her speech, I began to think over and over again Rachel and Annabeth's advice. Throughout their back and forth, I looked on in with some awe as well as, admittedly, a little fear.

 _Word of advice: one should be careful when seeing two girls argue._

They both meant well. And I was glad to receive advice from both.

 _Of course, the problem was, which do I follow?_

Rachel's gift suggestion to get a fancy scarf and hat for my mom was great. I knew my mom would look nice in it, especially in blue.

It was, by all means, an awesome gift.

However, I thought to what Annabeth told me about how my mom was not a person that was into fancy and expensive items. That was true. Mom WAS a simple person. I still remember one time on Mother's Day I had made reservations with her to go and eat out at this fancy restaurant at the Upper West Side for dinner.

However, my mom had refused, opting instead to spend it at home with me watching some old classic movies together.

 _The simple things in life._

Annabeth recommended that I buy my mom a simple notebook that she could write her novels in. That was a pretty good gift as well. And I liked it.

Yet the one piece of Annabeth's advice I kept thinking about was her insistence that I focus more on my Christmas note to my mom than the actual gift.

 _It's important to tell those who are special to you how special they are_ Annabeth's advice rang in my head.

It was true. My mom was one of the very few people who I considered super special in life.

 _Along with Annabeth..._

Ugh, choosing was hard! Rachel cared for me as my girlfriend! And Annabeth as well cared for me as my best friend.

However, I thought back to Annabeth's advice on my Christmas note. I began to think and muse about how long I've known Annabeth for _4 years._ Throughout my life, I looked up to her when I had a problem or issue. She was always the first person I turned to for advice, as did she.

 _I trusted her advice._

I trusted Annabeth.

Eventually, I finally said. "I think I'm going to buy my mom a notebook for Christmas guys. That's a good idea Annabeth."

Rachel had a shocked look on her face. However, a smile appeared on Annabeth's face, which made up for it.

"That's good Percy. You want me to go with you to nearby Hallmark to pick out a nice card for her?"

"Yeah, that sounds great Annabeth."

After exiting Hallmark, my note card and notebook in my shopping bag, we decided to head to the food court for lunch. However, Rachel abruptly pulled me to the side. Her face was in a frown. It was pretty clear she was still upset by what occurred.

"What gives?" Rachel asked, a scowl on her face. "Annabeth arguing with me about what to give to your mom for Christmas?"

"Hey, Rachel! Don't take it the wrong way! Annabeth meant well. You know that!" I responded.

"Yeah, I know but arguing about it? She got really REALLY serious Percy. Also, like, what the heck, you end up choosing her advice over mine?"

"Rachel, I didn't mean to offend you by doing that. Your gift recommendation was great and I want you to continue giving me advice as my girlfriend. It's .. I know how much Annabeth cares about me and wants to see me get something great for my mom. She knows her really well."

"I can tell," Rachel muttered.

"Look" I finally said, grabbing my girlfriend's hand and looking at her intently. I peered over to check if Annabeth was listening. She was at one of the mall stands, looking at some iPhone cases.

I then, slowly and quietly, started to speak. "Don't tell Annabeth this Rachel but I've always looked up to her for advice. She's the only person I truly trust along with my mom. I've known Annabeth for so long and she's always been there for me. Her words mean a lot. She means.. just please don't take it the wrong way that I followed her advice over yours. Okay? Please." I said as I kissed Rachel on her cheek.

Rachel looked like she wanted to keep arguing. However, finally, she relented and let out a sigh, slowly coming to grips with what I told her.

"Alright, Percy." she slowly stated as she released my hand. She then looked at her phone, taking note of the time.

"It's around 12 now. We should go get some food!"

* * *

 **Lunch Conversation**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

We caught up with Luke at the food court. His hands were full of both shopping bags from some men's stores and, weirdly, Victoria's Secret.

 _Hey, I'm not one to judge where a guy decides to shop, am I_?

The four of us decided to pick a table in the middle. Rachel's mood, thankfully, had seemingly gotten better and she was making some small talk with everyone.

 _Lunch makes everyone happy, doesn't it?_

Annabeth and I decided to order some Philly cheese steaks from Charlie's while Rachel and Luke got some salads from Saladworks. As I approached the table, I was greeted to some scolding by my girlfriend, rolling her eyes, disgusted by my food choice.

"Honestly Percy, first Wetzel Pretzels? Than Philly cheese steaks?"

"Yeah, Annabeth. Seriously? Have you heard something called healthy eating babe?" Luke chimed in.

"Hey, Luke! For the record, I do eat healthily! But we're hanging out at the mall for crying out loud! And it's almost Christmas! Can't you lighten up a bit on what you eat? Your diet doesn't need to consist of salads every meal." Annabeth shot back.

"Yes, I agree with the smart girl." I added, leading Annabeth to smile.

Luke was now the one rolling his eyes. "Ugh, you two are impossible," Luke grumbled, which got some laughs from the four of us. For the rest of the time, we ate, engaging in some mild chatter here and there.

Eventually, in the middle, Luke turned to Rachel. "Hey, uh, Rachel, we never actually got to formally get to know one another ever since you moved to CHB."

"Yeah, I realized that." Rachel responded.

"Well, this seems like a good opportunity to properly introduce yourself to me, doesn't it? So, where did you go to high school before this?"

"I was actually living in Boston beforehand, attending a private school. However, this fall, my dad got reassigned to New York and we ended up moving here. I wanted to go to a public school for a change since I HATE private schools. That's why I ended up at CHB."

Luke's eyes widened at the mention of Boston. "No. Way. You're..you're from Boston? Please tell me you're a Red Sox fan Rachel!"

Rachel smiled at the mention of the Red Sox. "Been one since I was a kid Luke."

Luke smiled widely and laughed in jubilation. "Oh shit, this is so freaking awesome!" he exclaimed as he put his hand out to give Rachel a high five. For the next few minutes, the two were engaged in spirited conversation about the past baseball season, the offseason, their favorite all-time Red Sox players. Throughout the conversation, Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked at me. She mouthed the words _Those two are impossible!_

I chuckled.

Luke then turned to his girlfriend. "Man, this is great! A true Red Sox fan! See, Rachel has some good tastes in sports teams Annabeth!" he said grinning at her.

Annabeth glared at Luke. "Hey! The Yankees were one game short of the World Series. ONE GAME! You didn't even make it past the division series!"

"Hey, they just got lucky that our star pitcher wasn't on his A-game. Twice! We could've won!" Rachel shot back.

"Excuses excuses always!" I chimed in, making Annabeth laugh and Rachel giving me a loving punch on the shoulders.

"Alright alright, enough of this Yankees-Red Sox talk! You guys will always be SO freaking stubborn." Luke commented as he turned to Rachel.

"Anyways Rachel, do any sports? Hobbies in your spare time?"

"Well, I do like going to political protests. There's one soon around Washington Square Park. I'm a very vocal person, especially on climate change. For sports, I did use to cheerlead for my old high school football team during my freshman and sophomore year."

I put my Coke down and looked at Rachel, wide-eyed. "No way. You..you were a cheerleader?"

"Yes, yes I was. Why do you think I'm so good at protest chant songs Percy?" I continued to look at my girlfriend a little stunned.

"How could I have gone this far without knowing my own freaking girlfriend used to cheerlead!"

"Well, you never asked," Rachel answered giving a little smile. I couldn't help but continue to look at Rachel wide-eyed.

 _Wow, my..my girlfriend was once a cheerleader. I don't know how I feel about that._

"Wow, that's freaking awesome! You know, you should try out for the CHB cheerleader team! They could definitely use someone like you."

"Thanks," Rachel said, smiling at Luke.

"You know, speaking of, I've been trying to push little Annabeth here to cheerlead for the past year. Unfortunately, she's a little artsy-fartsy girl with all those architecture drawings she likes doing in her spare time," Luke laughed giving a little nudge to Annabeth. Annabeth gave a small laugh. However, I could sense some uneasiness on her face. It seemed like she wasn't too happy with where the conversation was headed.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with sketching and drawing." I mentioned.

"Yeah, but Annabeth will be SO much better if she spent her time cheerleading. She's got the right form. Body. She'll definitely kick ass in competitions!"

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"She's got the right form and body. She'll definitely kick ass."

I laughed a bit and shot Luke a little smile as my boyfriend continued to pester me, for the millionth time, why I should cheerlead, calling me an "artsy" girl for liking architecture.

I knew that! Luke liked to joke about this stuff! However, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable and down at those repeated comments.

Percy then chimed in. "Hey man! Annabeth's drawings are pretty awesome! She's great at it! She doesn't need to cheerlead." I gave a grateful smile to Percy. He was always one to defend my drawing habit.

"Yeah, but which sounds cooler man? _Best cheerleader in high school_ or _best architectural sketcher_? I would take the first." Luke joked.

"Okay, what the hell dude!" Percy exclaimed, his sea-green eyes looking at my boyfriend fiercely. I was taken aback by the ferocity he displayed. "Annabeth's drawings are some of the best I've ever seen! Ever! She doesn't need to fucking cheerlead! She's already good!"

"Hey, whoa, whoa, don't take what I said seriously!" Luke stated awkwardly, surprised by Percy's harsh reaction. "I'm just joking around. Right, Annabeth?" Luke asked looking at me for validation.

"Yeah, he's..he's just joking around Percy! It's all in good fun!" I quickly added, giving a forced smile at Percy. His eyes were fierce still. He clearly was disappointed and not pleased with Luke's comments.

 _Hey, come on Percy, Luke's just joking around! Don't .. don't take it too seriously._

"Um, we should talk about our Christmas plans guys. You know, since it's..coming up pretty soon." Rachel awkwardly interjected. She had been silent the whole time, watching Luke and Percy go back and forth. She was giving little glances at Percy, who looked angry still, and me.

Eventually, Percy let out an exhale and his expression returned to normal. "Ok. Sorry just..lost my cool their dude. I mistook what you said. Forgive me," giving a sheepish grin.

"Yeah, it's..it's alright man. " Luke replied. "We're cool now." There was some awkward silence at the table for a while.

. Eventually, Luke asked "So, what are you planning for Christmas Percy?

"Nothing much. Planning to go out for breakfast with my mom and dad, who's visiting from Washington, in the morning. Also might take Rachel here to Rockefeller Center, which she's pretty stoked about."

"That sounds cool."

"Yeah, it..is. I, uh, heard you and Annabeth are going skating?"

Luke nodded. "Yep. Going to this private skating rink on the Upper West Side near my place. I go there quite often throughout the year."

"Oh, that sounds like fun! I used to skate all the time when I was up in Boston." Rachel noted.

"Wow, that's awesome. Actually, you know what, I just had a great idea!" Luke then exclaimed. "You guys could both come with us for Christmas!"

As Luke said that, Percy's eyes widened. Percy was panicking a bit. I, as well, began to panic.

 _No, Percy skating? No, he can't skate!_

"Um, dude, thanks for the offer but that's way too kind of you!" Percy quickly said.

"Hey, nonsense man! Not a big deal at all! I know the guy who owns the place. Just tell them you're a friend of Luke's and you're in like this!" Luke exclaimed while snapping his fingers.

"Yeah, but I..I already made plans with Rachel!" Percy stammered.

"Yeah, Luke!" I chimed in, trying to help Percy. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it will be great if the two came. It's .. like Percy said, I don't know if Rachel would be cool with canceling their previous plans together."

"Actually, the more I think of it, that sounds like a great idea Luke!" Rachel responded. "I kinda just wanted to go to Rockefeller to go skate in the rink. But it's going to be crowded most likely. This is good!"

"But.." Percy cried out, trying desperately to come up with an excuse. Rachel turned to her boyfriend.

"Hey, it's alright babe! We don't have to go to Rockefeller. Skating with a bunch of friends on Christmas will be fun, don't you think?" she expressed, smiling.

Percy still looked like he wanted to argue. I was desperately trying to concoct an excuse but to no avail. Eventually, Percy exhaled. Forcing a grin, he finally said.

"Yeah, I'll .. I'll come."

Luke smiled. "Alright then! I'll see you there! I'll have Annabeth text both of you where this place is. This is going to be pretty freaking awesome!" Luke grinned, giving Rachel and Percy a high five.

The rest of lunch we continued to talk, the discussion inevitably going back to the Red Sox and Yankees. However, Percy, as well as I, were more subdued than usual.

Percy didn't know how to skate! He didn't want to skate! I knew that Percy had that injury he suffered while skating in his mind still, which I absolutely felt bad for.

And now, he would be forced to skate with his girlfriend.

I really wish I could help Percy.

* * *

 **Unique**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Ugh, why didn't I learn how to skate when I was younger! Why! Why! I just HAD to go and break my stupid ankle.

I was still worried about the prospect of skating as lunch ended. Afterward, Rachel had decided to go with Hazel, Silena, and Piper to shop around at some nearby men's stores, presumably for their boyfriends. Luke went with the Stoll Brothers, Octavian, and Charles, to go to Sports Authority. My friends Jason, Frank, Grover, and Leo decided to go to Gamestop and check out some of their new PS4 and XBox releases. They offered me to come but I politely declined. I still had gifts to find for dad and Rachel.

 _Also Annabeth._

Speaking of Annabeth, she had mysteriously decided to stay behind with me. The girls asked her to join them but she refused. Rachel, in particular, gave a quizzical look at Annabeth but didn't think much of it.

"Um, you're not going with the girls?" I asked as Annabeth went near me.

"No, I'm planning to buy a gift for Samantha."

"Oh, okay. Well, uh, this is a little weird but I have to go now Annabeth. Sorry. I'm planning to buy something for my dad first."

"You mind if I go with you?" Annabeth asked.

"Annabeth, no, it's okay. Like you said, you have to buy something for Samantha. I'm only going to slow you down."

"I already know what I want to buy her Percy. An ACDC sweater. They have some in Hot Topic so it's fine. I have spare time."

"Annabeth, really, you don't have to come with me. I'll be fine."

"Percy. I WANT to hang out with you. That's final, okay? " she firmly expressed, giving me a smile. Her gray eyes had a sympathetic and understanding look to them.

I then smiled at her. I realized why she wanted to spend some time with me; to make me feel better about the whole skating thing.

 _Man, I don't even say anything and Annabeth already knows if something's wrong with me. She's so freaking awesome..._

"Alright then Wise Girl, let's go." I said, giving her a smile. We walked around the mall for the next few minutes, taking in our surrounding sights. The mall had filled up considerably more since lunch and was getting quite crowded. I instinctively reached over for Annabeth's hand, finding something to hold on to to not get swept up in the chaos. She wasn't embarrassed though. Instead, Annabeth squeezed my hand back, giving me a little smile.

In the middle of walking towards Old Navy, the mall's loudspeakers began playing the Taylor Swift rendition of _Last Christmas._

Alright, okay, I know this might sound weird being, like a GUY. And, usually, I don't listen to Taylor Swift too often. However, I always liked her song _Last Christmas_. I don't know, it's just..the singing was good, the guitar, the lyrics.

It was .. it's a good song. _I don't need to explain why I like a song!_

Unconsciously, I started humming out loud. Unfortunately, Annabeth heard it. She pointed it out.

"Percy, are you..are you humming to this song?" Annabeth inquired, looking at me.

"Uh, what?" I stuttered, panicking. "No, I'm..I'm not!" I quickly replied.

"Yeah, I think you were!" she continued, giving a grin and laugh.

"I wasn't Annabeth!"

"Seaweed Brain, don't lie to me! I know you!" she exclaimed, nudging me.

"I wasn't!" I exclaimed. However, Annabeth continued to smile. She had a look on her face that read _just admit it, Seaweed Brain. Just admit it!_

Ugh.

"Alright, I was! Happy? Just.. just don't tell Grover! Or anyone. Please!"

Annabeth chuckled, which made me red. However, she added, "No, I'm not making fun of you Percy! You know, for the record, I like this song as well."

My eyes widened. "You..you do?"

"Yeah! It's really good! My favorite rendition in fact of _Last Christmas_. I really like Taylor Swift's voice in this one."

"Same!" The chorus of the song then played on the loudspeakers. All of a sudden, to my shock, Annabeth closed her eyes and, smiling, started to randomly sing out loud.

 _Last Christmas I gave you my heart_

 _But the very next day, you gave it away_

 _This year, to save me from tears_

 _I will give it to someone special_

I looked at Annabeth in absolute awe, similar during the concert, as she was singing. In the middle of a crowded mall. Her voice was extremely soft and gentle. The way she emphasized and put passion on certain words and parts _._ Like _special_ and _heart_.

It felt like Annabeth was singing to me.

It was really good _. Beautiful._

Wow.

"Um, s..sorry," Annabeth quickly said, her face getting red after the song concluded. "I don't know what got over me. Like I said, the song is really good and.."

I laughed at Annabeth as she tried to explain herself. "Sorry! What for? That was great Annabeth! Wow, I didn't know you could sing Wise Girl!"

"I don't sing though Percy."

"Well, you should! Next time, you're taking over the karaoke machine when we go to a party!"

Annabeth started blushing. She gave me a hard punch on the shoulder.

"Oh SHUT UP Seaweed Brain!" she muttered, face still bright red as I grinned.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

After exploring the mall for a while, Percy and I decided to go into Old Navy, where Percy bought his dad a really nice blue polo shirt (Percy's family is REALLY into blue, huh?). The entire time though, Percy had been teasing me about my random singing outburst in the middle of the mall. _Bruno Mars- Uptown Funk_ started playing and Percy kept asking me, over and over, to sing along, to my annoyance.

 _Why did I decide to randomly sing in the middle of the mall? Why?  
_

Exiting, I turned to Percy. "Alright, what's next?"

"Well first, sing one more song please!" he teased, grinning.

I sighed. I flatly replied "No."

"Oh come on Wise Girl! Please,"

"No." Percy started pouting, scrunching his eyes. He looked like a little baby dolphin begging for food.

"Please my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl! Please!"

I tried my very very best to ignore him.

 _Ugh,_ _n_ _ot that nickname! Also, why did Percy have to be really really cute..._

Um, I'm talking about his facial expression. Not .. Percy himself...

"Okay then," I said at first, leading Percy to believe he won. However, I grinned.

"N-O. No."

Percy let out a big sigh. "Least I tried. Well, now, I'm planning to go buy something for, uh, Rachel."

"Oh," I responded, my grin dropping. I started to get uncomfortable. Percy noticed. He then quickly added. "Um, you don't have to help me find something for Rachel Annabeth! I'm perfectly fine on my own. I think the girls are now at GAP so you can go over there and join them."

"No Percy!" I quickly replied, shaking off these feelings. _Stop feeling jealous!_ Rachel was Percy's girlfriend. And my friend as well! She was a .. special person to him!

As someone who cared for Percy, I had to help him find something for Rachel.

"Percy, I'll help you find a gift for Rachel."

"Really Annabeth?" he responded, his eyes looking at me in puzzlement. It looked like Percy still had that little outburst I had in Bath and Body Works in mind.

I took a deep breath and said, confidently. "Look, Percy, I'm a girl. Rachel's also a girl. If anyone is adept at both finding her an awesome gift and stopping you from screwing up in the process, it will be me."

Percy had an offended look to him. "Is that meant to be a jab at me Wise Girl?" he asked.

"Kind of." I honestly answered, smirking a bit.

Percy sighed. "You never fail to both impress and annoy me Wise Girl." he muttered as I laughed.

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Annabeth and I went to all the stores in Willowbrook Mall. H&M. Lord and Taylor's. Ann Taylor. Hot Topic.

However, I still didn't find anything for Rachel. In all honesty, I didn't know what to get for her. Rachel was such an..interesting person. I found it hard to gauge her likes and dislikes even after dating her for more than a month.

 _Why couldn't Rachel be like Annabeth? I knew, for the most part, what Wise Girl liked._

The entire time searching, I felt weird that Annabeth was alongside me. I knew she felt uncomfortable about Rachel, feeling guilty still for supposedly "ruining" our date.

 _I also have a big crush on Annabeth, still.  
_

However, Annabeth still went through the burden of helping me find a gift for my girlfriend. That was always one of Annabeth's great qualities, loyalty to her closest friends. I absolutely loved that about her. _  
_

 _And why I love her..._

After searching for the next hour, we looked up at the time.

 _5:30 pm._

I cursed to myself. _Crap._ We had to get to the bus by 6 pm! I haven't found Rachel anything!

 _Even worse, I didn't find Annabeth a gift yet either.  
_

"Um, Annabeth, it's almost time to leave soon. I think we should go now. Thank you though for helping me search for a gift. I really appreciate it." I said, looking at her softly.

Annabeth gave a sympathetic look at me. She then noticed the Zales Jewelers store that was near us.

"Hey, why don't we go and take a look in that jewelry store first? Maybe you'll find something for Rachel! You never know." Annabeth commented as we headed inside. We started scouring the store for a while, looking at the items on display. My brain was half focused though. I was worried about both the time, as well as the fact that I didn't find Rachel or Annabeth anything yet.

I felt especially guilty at the last part.

However, suddenly, Annabeth exclaimed. "Oh, this looks really nice Percy!" from across the store. I went over to look at what she was talking about.

I was looking at a gold bracelet, a Greek Evil eye charm bangle.

 **(A/N: I absolutely suck at describing jewelry accurately so I'm not going to even attempt it. For better imagery, just google "Greek evil eye charm bangle". And you'll see what I'm talking about. Looks kind of weird to me. )**

It looked..interesting. Weird.

 _Different._

Is Annabeth playing some joke on me? What the heck was that?

"Annabeth, what..what is this?" I asked.

"Your gift for Rachel." she plainly responded.

"Um." I began, not sure how to go about this. I still had no idea what the heck Annabeth was showing me. _Mind you,_ _this was the same girl that thought the owl necklace looked beautiful._

"Annabeth, I don't mean to offend you." I voiced, trying to find the correct words so Annabeth wouldn't kick my ass. "That bracelet looks…"

"Weird? Different? Yeah, that's the point." Annabeth stated, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"What? Wait..how did you guess.."

"Percy, I know this bracelet looks weird. I think it looks weird as well. But that's the point! From my conversations and being friends with Rachel, I observed she's a type of girl who likes peculiar and unique things. Like, for instance, when I was studying with Rachel for math, she was playing some music, _Maroon 5-Maps_. Afterwards, some heavy dubstep played. Honestly, I don't think any two songs on her phone are the same!"

"Alright..that..that makes sense." I replied. It was pretty well known Rachel was a little weird, in a good way. So for Annabeth to try finding something different for Rachel's gift was smart.

But still, this was Rachel's Christmas gift! I wasn't sure if getting her something odd was the right thing to do.

"I..I don't know Annabeth," I admitted. I then looked over at a nice looking bracelet right beside. It was more expensive, at around $70, but it was very pretty.

 _And normal looking._

"How about this Annabeth?" I asked as I showed her. "I think this would be good for Rachel!"

"Percy, no, this is the correct gift!" Annabeth retorted.

"Annabeth, again. I'm not so sure!"

"Percy, look, you need to trust me on this! This bracelet is unique! Rachel LOVES those type of things."

"Annabeth, how can you be so sure in the first place! How do you know that's what Rachel likes?" Annabeth's expression began to harden. There was a hesitant look on her face as if she was debating whether or not to tell me what she was about to say.

However, Annabeth took a deep breath. She started to speak.

"Percy, do you even know why Rachel started dating you in the first place?" I looked at Annabeth with a puzzled expression, not expecting this question at all.

"Um, what?"

Annabeth continued. "I had a conversation with Rachel a while back when you two started dating. She..she was telling me how excited she was. How happy. Elated."

"Um, why were you girls talking about me in the first place?" I asked, my face reddening.

"I..I didn't want to have that conversation Seaweed Brain! It..it just came up! Why would I want to talk about you?" Annabeth exclaimed, giving me a punch on the shoulder. Her tone was jolkative. However, Annabeth began moving around uncomfortably. She began twirling her blond hair, stealing some glances at the floor, not looking at me.

"Um, okay." I replied giving an awkward laugh.

"She..she told me the reason she was interested in you because you were..unique Percy. A.. different kind of guy."

"Different?" I exclaimed, looking at Annabeth in puzzlement.

Annabeth looked at me, her gray eyes getting a little fiercer, which surprised me. "Yes, different! That's why I'm telling you this bracelet is a good gift! Rachel likes different! And you're different Percy!"

I laughed when Annabeth said that. _You're different!_ How was I different? I was a fidgety, ADHD, barely passing math class junior high school kid that got kicked out of all my elementary schools when I was young.

If that counted as different, that was a BAD type.

"I appreciate those words Annabeth but they're too kind. I'm not different, no. You're wrong about that!"

Annabeth continued to look at me, her gray eyes getting even more fierce. Her face looked pained. It seemed as though the words I said had hurt her.

A lot.

 _Whoa.._

"Annabeth, why are you.." However, she stopped me. Her gray eyes were now full of ferocity, almost like she was prepping for battle. Her expression was hardened and angered. Annabeth started breathing heavily.

"Gods Percy, how.. how can you be so.. vacuous! So vapid. So..fucking OBTUSE! You are different! YOU JUST ARE PERCY! You're really sweet! Warm! Nice! Funny! I haven't met another guy, or person, like you EVER!"

"Annabeth.."

Annabeth ignored my little interjection. "Ever since I met you in middle school Percy, you always treated me so differently than the other kids! You were always so nice, sweet, and caring. You always had so much confidence in me even if I didn't in myself. I just..you're...UGH!" she began. Annabeth started struggling to find words mid-sentence in a very un-Annabeth manner. She looked pained again, conflicted on what she should say next. It looked like as if old demons and monsters from her past were coming to haunt her.

"That's why Rachel wanted to date you! And spend time with you! Because you're special. Really special Percy. And I .. I get _jealous_ sometimes when you're spending time with her Percy. I just do! I don't know why." Annabeth began.

"Annabeth, I..."

"Percy, look." she finally said, trying to collect herself. "You should get Rachel that bracelet. I know it's the right gift for her. I know it. And you will because you're an awesome boyfriend. And friend. Okay?" Annabeth said as she headed out the store, leaving me behind absolutely stunned.

* * *

 **That Special Gift**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Percy decided to buy Rachel the bracelet.

I remember standing outside the store, waiting for Percy, thinking and regretting all I had said to him.

 _You're special Percy! Ever since I met you in middle school!  
_

Why did I lose control? First with my dad, now with Percy. I don't know what got over me. I really don't. Just .. hearing Percy laugh at the notion he wasn't special pained me. It hurt.

Percy was special! _Probably one of the most special people in my life._

He had always been so sweet and kind, unlike the other kids at my school. He was the only person who truly ever cared for me. Stood by me in my times of hurt.

 _If that didn't make someone special than what the fuck does?_

Exiting the jewelry store, Percy slowly walked outside. He saw me sitting on the bench by myself. Noticing him, I slowly looked up, not wanting to meet Percy's eyes.

"Percy, I.." I began, taking a deep breath "I'm sorry that I lost control over myself. I don't know what got over me. When .. when I heard you say that you thought you weren't unique. Special. I hated hearing that! It's not true at all! You are all those things I said, Percy. You're a great and caring friend. You're an absolutely.."

Percy didn't say anything. He suddenly went up and gave me a big hug mid-sentence.

I sat there, absolutely stunned, as Percy continued to hug me for a long time. Percy was hugging me fiercely, so intensely, to the point that it felt like he was going to break my ribs. I didn't care thougy. Percy's hug felt so warm and passionate. My heart began fluttering.

After hugging me for what felt like an eternity, Percy then looked at me, smiling, with those incredible sea-green eyes, as I sat there, still stunned.

"Annabeth, you're such a special, awesome person. You always see great things in people. I always loved that about you! You're so fucking sweet. Nice. Smart. Loyal to you're friends. You're just awesome, even if you never saw that in yourself, I always knew you were something different ever since we were young. Also, admittedly, you have a good sense of humor although it can be annoying and at my expense." he said smiling.

I gave a laugh at the last part and gave Percy a little punch on his shoulder. This one, though, was more affectionate and loving.

Percy then took a deep breath. "You know, I..I also get a little jealous sometimes when you're with Luke. I don't know why. I really like spending time with you Annabeth. I'm sorry if that's weird and I know that you like Luke. It's just.."

"No, it's not weird. I .. I think I understand Percy. My..my dad explained it to me." I told him, cutting Percy off. I began remembering back to the phone conversation I had with dad. I had told him that I had felt so pained, sad, _hurt_ that I couldn't go with Percy to the concert.

My dad had explained that I felt that way because it showed how much I wanted to be with Percy. How much I cared for him.

 _How much I .. I loved him..._

"Wait, he..he did?" Percy asked, a little confused.

"Yeah. My dad called me Friday afternoon before the Vicetone concert. I told him that I felt really sad and hurt that you couldn't initially come with me to the concert."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I didn't know why I felt those feelings. But, he explained why. He said that you and I have a very special, close connection Percy. Dad told me that it reminded him of his relationship with his best friend from high school. Our relationship is like a strong bond Percy. Like a.."

"Covalent bond." Percy suddenly said. I looked at him with wide eyes. He then gave a nonchalant shrug.

"What? You know I DO pay attention in Chemistry every now and then." he said. I laughed.

"Yeah, like..like a covalent bond. I want to be with you a lot. I absolutely love spending time with you. It's natural I guess for people who have a strong connection with each other to feel that way, right?"

"Yeah, that's true." Percy softly replied. We then looked at each other for a while, contemplating. Eventually, I continued.

"That's probably why I got angry at you in the store Percy. Your words..they weren't true. As someone who cared for you, I know how special you are."

Percy gave another big smile. "And you're special to Annabeth." he replied as he went to give me another hug. After our hug, Percy checked his watch. He cursed out loud.

"Shoot, it's 5:55 pm! We better hurry up. Don't want to be late to the bus." We stood up to leave. However, I stopped him. I began to think about our upcoming Christmas plans to go skating.

 _Percy can't go skating again. I didn't want him to hurt himself. I can't let that happen._

"Look, Percy, I know you're scared about skating this Christmas. And I fully understand. I'll try coming up with a reason and tell Luke you can't come. Just give me some time, alright?"

Percy sighed. He softly put his hand on me. "I know Annabeth. I appreciate your worry. I do. But I can't cancel it now. Rachel is excited to go ice skating. I can't leave her hanging."

"But, you can't skate!"

"Well, who said I have to skate? Maybe I'll just stay in the nearby rec room when you three have fun. Hope they have good snacks there though."

I gave a reserved laugh at Percy's joke. However, I still felt worried. Gods, I KNEW Percy could skate. He was too awesome and special to NOT know how to skate. It was that stupid injury he suffered when younger that debilitated him!

Percy only needed some encouragement. Someone had confidence and trust in him.

 _You know you could always teach Percy to skate Annabeth_ my conscious began telling me.

A light bulb went off in my brain. I started smiling out loud.

I had an idea.

"Percy, meet me at the ice rink at around 12 pm this Christmas, ok?"

Percy shot me a sideway glance. "Um, aren't we supposed to meet up like 2?"

"Yes. Yes, we are. But I have something to give you."

His eyes widened. "Whoa, what, you do? Are .. are you talking about, like, a Christmas gift?"

"Yes. You're Christmas present, Percy." I finally stated, smiling at him.

"Wise Girl's gift to Seaweed Brain."

* * *

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Arriving home, I then went into my room and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Today had been a LONG LONG day. I pretty much did everything I set out to do. Got my dad a gift. My girlfriend. My mom. Also, got a cheesy Wetzel Pretzel, which was awesome.

So my day was pretty complete.

However, I still didn't do one thing. _I didn't find Annabeth a gift. Annabeth fucking awesome Chase._

I felt guilty, especially after what happened in the jewelry store. Those amazing, sweet, absolutely fucking awesome things Annabeth said about me.

Of course, finding Annabeth a gift was not hard. I knew what Annabeth liked.

Yet, now it felt different. I wanted to give Annabeth something extraordinary. No, I NEEDED to give her something extraordinary. Annabeth was special. Our relationship was special. It's only fitting that she deserved a gift just as special.

 _Of course, what the hell that present would be I had no idea._

My mom then came into my room as I began to muse about Annabeth.

"How are you dear?" mom asked.

"Hey mom, I'm alright." I responded

"You got everything you need already Percy? Cause if not, tomorrow would be a great time to finish your shopping. I'm planning to go to Lexington Avenue."

"No, I got everything." I lied. "Especially for my wonderful mom." I said teasing her. She gave a little laugh.

"Percy, please, I hope you didn't binge too much on me! You know I hate that. My best present is you!" mom exclaimed as she gave me a hug and pinch on the face.

 _Yeah, that's what Annabeth would've said as well._ My mood dampened as I began to think of Annabeth again.

My mom noticed. "What's wrong honey?" mom asked, a concerned look on her face as she came over and sat down next to me on my bed.

"Well, to..to be honest, I got almost everything." I replied. "I didn't find Annabeth a gift yet mom. I .. I don't know what to get her."

"Oh," mom responded, silent. My mom always treated Annabeth like she was her daughter. She always took careful attention to any discussion involving Annabeth.

"Don't worry Percy! You'll find her something. I know you will!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to find her _just_ something. I want to find Annabeth something great. Awesome _._ She deserves an incredible gift!" I suddenly began to think back to that owl necklace in the store she really liked.

 _Man, why couldn't I have enough money to buy that? Why!  
_

"Gods, if only I had money to get her a necklace or something!" I exclaimed as my mom looked at me in puzzlement. "Only if!"

"Percy.." my mom slowly said. "You know, it's not always about the price of the gift. It's about the meaning as well."

"That's just an adult thing to say, mom! Of course, you say that! But this is Annabeth! She deserves something awesome for Christmas! And something awesome usually costs money!"

"Percy! A gift could be worth a million dollars yet be worthless if it has no meaning or value to the person. You should start by asking yourself what Annabeth cares and holds dear to her? What would that be?"

"Well, she does like architecture. But she already has a sketchbook from me! Annabeth likes track as well. But buying her running shoes? No way! Ugh, this is SO freaking hard!" I shouted as I moaned to myself.

My mom chuckled. "Percy, I think you're forgetting something in that list of yours," she noted. I looked at mom with wide eyes.

"What, I am? What is it! What am I forgetting? Tell me, PLEASE!"

"You two's friendship."

"Our..our friendship?"

"Yes, you're friendship! That's something I know Annabeth holds dearly and values."

"Mom, you can't be serious. Our friendship? I know how special it is but that's not a gift! It's just that. We're very good friends and that's all." I told her.

My mom looked at me fiercely, angry at my comment. "It's not a gift Percy? How can you say that! Then explain all this! Why did you do all those wonderful things for Annabeth? Come to her house when she was having problems with her dad? Take her out to AMNH. Ask her dad to come over for Thanksgiving as a surprise? Why?"

"I.." I began

"Because of you two's friendship Percy, that's why! That's what strong friendships do! That's why it's a gift that keeps on giving. It makes you do incredible things for the other person. Even friendship is not a word I would describe your relationship with her. It's more than that! It's care. Deep attachment. Devotion. Love even…"

"Mom.." I started, trying to refute her claim. But she was right. Annabeth and I's relationship WAS more than a friendship. It was way more than that. I cared for her a lot. Worried. _  
_

_Loved her still_..

"What I'm saying Percy is that I think you should give Annabeth something that reminds her of your two's special relationship. Like an item of a memory you shared in the past with her. Look, it doesn't matter if the gift is not expensive. All that matters is that it's meaningful. It shows Annabeth how special this relationship you have with her is. How special Annabeth is to you Percy."

 _Man, this sounds SO freaking similar to what Annabeth told me about my gift for mom...  
_

"Just think about it Percy, okay?" mom finally said, kissing me on the forehea, as she left my room. I mused over what my mom told me for the next moment.

 _Find something that shows how special your relationship is with Annabeth._

How special she is.

I then decided to take my phone out and scroll through my photos, specifically the ones with Annabeth (which were quite a lot). I started smiling to myself as I looked through them. Some had been from AMNH. Others from Six Flags. The rest was just an abundance of random moments and pictures we took. In some, Annabeth had not been ready yet. Her hair was either messed up or she looked weird. Annabeth repeatedly threatened to judo flip me if I didn't get rid of those photos.

I didn't though. _I mean, she looks really cute in every one of these photos. Why would I delete them?_

I looked up at my shelf and took a look at my books on there. I then took note of one in particular. It was a premade scrapbook, one I had gotten from my mom. I got off my bed and went to get the scrapbook. Grabbing it, I took a better look.

It was a simple scrapbook really, not that expensive. Black on the outside, made up of leather, with empty white pages inside where one could paste their photos.

It was really simple. Plain.

My mind began to stir. _Scrapbook. Photos. Friendship memories._

Things to remind Annabeth about our special relationship.

I smiled to myself. It hit me.

I knew what I was going to give Annabeth for Christmas.

* * *

 **Christmas Morning**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Early Christmas morning, my mom, dad, and I were inside an Upper East Side IHOP having breakfast with each other.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. _Going to IHOP's for your Christmas morning breakfast! What the hell? Are you serious?_ However, let me explain. This particular IHOP has sentimental value. A long time ago, when I was around 7, my dad had moved to Washington D.C for his job. For his very first Christmas back in New York, he took my mom and me out to eat at this particular IHOP's for breakfast.

Ever since then, it's been tradition to come here each Christmas.

Also, not going to lie, the pancakes are pretty good at IHOPS. _Just wish they were blue._

That morning, Poseidon was wolfing down his pancakes, as was I, as my mom continued to shake her head and roll her eyes at us.

"Honestly Poseidon, you and Percy have so much in common. Like unreasonably large appetites," she muttered.

"Well Sally, I think the expression goes, _like father like son,_ right?" he replied, giving my mom a mischievous smile and giving me a high five. Though mom looked annoyed, she couldn't help but smile as well after a while.

"Hey, dad, between," I said as I put my fork down. "Do you like the gift I gave you?"

"Oh, absolutely Perseus! It's wonderful! A blue polo shirt! Like your color and style choice son! I'm not much of a fashion dude to be honest. Don't need to be if you're working in the shipping and fishing industry in the government."

"Again, you two have SO many similarities." my mom murmured.

"Dad!" I grumbled, getting annoyed by his usage of my real name _Perseus._ "Don't use that name!"

"Well, it IS your name Perseus! You know you have a Greek side to you. You should be proud of that!"

"Yes, I know dad! And I am proud of that! But I prefer if you called me Percy! Perseus sounds .. weird."

 _Even Seaweed Brain would've been alright with me.  
_

"Ugh, you kids are getting Americanized so freaking quickly." my dad groaned, shaking his head as he took a sip of his coffee. We continued to eat for the next few minutes, the three of us catching up with one another. Eventually, I cleared my throat. I stood up and reached into my bag of gifts and pulled out the one for mom.

I turned to her. "Hey, um, mom. Here's my Christmas gift for you." I began as I handed mom the gift-wrapped notebook.

My mom looked at me. "Percy, you didn't have to give me anything!"

"Mom, I know you're going to say that because you're stubborn. And you know I'm going to ignore that because I'm stubborn as well." My mom smiled. She started unwrapping the gift. She gasped as she saw the notebook, which Annabeth personally handpicked.

"It's for your writing mom. I know that you're an aspiring novelist. And, you know, I thought this might help with that."

"Percy..this..this is great! I love it! Thank you so much dear!" she exclaimed as mom came over and hugged me.

"I also have a Christmas note for you," I said as I reached into my back pocket. I gave a deep breath. I was working on mom's Christmas note for around 3 days. I had asked Annabeth for some input on it, which she gladly offered.

 _Gods, I love that girl so much. She's amazing._

"Percy I…"

"Mom, this is just my way of saying how much you mean to me. How much I love you." as I gave her the note.

My mom then read my note. Throughout, she had a mixture of smiling, laughing, as well as crying. By the end, she was tearing up a lot. Mom looked up at me and smiled widely. "This is beautiful Percy.."

"Well, you are VERY special to me mom. And, on Christmas, it's important to tell those that are close to you how special they are." I stated smiling, my mind thinking of Annabeth as I said the word special. My mom got up and hugged me again, this time longer than before.

"I love you. I love you so much Percy!" she said.

"I love you too mom." I replied hugging her back. My dad was smiling the entire time. After the hug, he then proclaimed.

"I love this family so fucking much! You know, you guys really should consider moving with me to Washington D.C! It gets awfully lonely and irritating having to dorm with my colleagues Apollo and Ares. Such annoying assholes. You, Perseus, would be great company to have!"

I smiled as dad mentioned the topic of moving. Ever since my dad moved to Washington for his job, he had constantly asked me to come and live with him in D.C.

I missed my dad, of course. But I never was too keen on that idea. I already was in school. I had friends here. I really liked living in New York.

 _Annabeth was here as well.  
_

"Dad, again, it's Percy. PERCY! Also, how many times are you going to pester me with this _moving to D.C_ topic?" I joked.

"Until both of you move with me. Well, one would be good enough."

"Well, I..uh.. already have a..boyfriend. Mr. Paul Blofis. You know that Poseidon! I can't leave him."

"His name is Blowfish?" my dad asked.

"Blofis." my mom repeated.

"Mmm, Blowfish would have been nicer. Anyways Sally, I already told you that it's okay that you're dating other people. I'm perfectly fine. I have Perseus, dammit, PERCY here. Besides, who wouldn't want to date someone as sweet and pretty as you?" he said with a mischievous smile.

"I sometimes forget how sweet you are Poseidon!" mom exclaimed as she smiled at Poseidon. I think I might have choked a bit as my mom and dad were flirting.

Dad then turned to me, his expression serious. "All jokes aside though Percy, I would really love it if you move with me. The offer still stands. You could find an internship with the government in my department. That will be really great for you."

"Uh, thanks, dad. But I'm already more than halfway done with high school. All my friends are here. Girlfriend."

 _Annabeth..._

"That's fair enough Percy. I understand. But the offer still stands anytime you know? Just give me a call or text! I'll happily pick it up! Seriously. I'm getting absolutely annoyed by Ares. Such a conceited, arrogant prick."

I laughed. "Thanks, dad. I'll keep that in mind." We continued to eat for the rest of the time, the three of us joking and laughing. I was having a great Christmas morning.

In the middle, I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up. It was a message from Annabeth. I smiled as I read the message.

 _Annabeth: Merry Christmas Seaweed Brain! You ready to receive your Christmas present?  
_

I looked up at the time. It was now 30 minutes until 12 pm.

I replied. _Me: Yes! Can you give me some hints first though Wise Girl?  
_

 _Annabeth: No. You have to come here first! That's the deal.  
_

 _Me: Ugh fine. At least tease me a bit.  
_

 _Annabeth: Ok. It will be AWESOME. There, enough?_

 _Me: Love the specificity Wise Girl.  
_

 _Annabeth: Just get over here Kelp Head and you'll find out what your gift is._

I laughed as I read the text. _Annabeth and I have a weird, annoying yet awesome connection._

I love it.

I looked up at mom, "Mom, I'm going to go now, I have to meet up with Annabeth."

My mom smiled. "Alright. Have fun!" I then kissed my mom and dad goodbye and headed out. Walking through Central Park, I smiled as I thought back to Annabeth's text.

 _It will be awesome._

Knowing Wise Girl, her gift to me would be awesome.

I just knew it.

* * *

 **Skate**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

I arrived at the ice skate rink about 10 minutes early than I planned with Percy.

I was wearing some grey sweatpants and a NY Rangers sweater. My blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. I was also wearing my special Yankees cap that my mother gave me for good luck.

 _If I'm going to teach Seaweed Brain how to skate, I want to have all the luck I can._

I took the next few minutes going over the drills I planned to practice with Percy. Usually, I prepare extensively for everything I'm about to do. However, even more so now, I kept rechecking and checking certain things on the ice rink, making sure the ice skates I had for Percy were good.

I was set on teaching Percy to skate. Everything needed to be perfect.

Even more, I kept checking my back pocket, making sure my Christmas note was there. That was crucial.

 _I had to give it to him. I had to tell Percy on Christmas just how truly special he was and how much he meant to me.  
_

After a few minutes, Percy then showed up. He was wearing his blue CHB high school swim team sweater with some blue jeans on and a green beanie. His sea-green eyes were sparkling. Percy smiled as he noticed me. I smiled back. I then skated up to him.

"Hey! Merry Christmas Seaweed Brain!" I exclaimed.

"And Merry Christmas to you to Wayne Gretzky...I mean Wise Girl," he joked, grinning. I rolled my eyes and proceeded to give Percy a big hug. I then noticed Percy's bag, which had some gifts in it.

Curiosity took hold. The little girl part of me began jumping up and down.

 _Ooo, are one of those for me? What is it! What is it!_

Percy noticed where my eyes were landing. He then put his gift bag on one of the nearby benches and smiled.

"Don't worry Wise Girl, you'll get your present soon. It will be great, trust me!" Percy said, grinning. "However, you did say that you had my gift! So, where is it?"

I smiled. "Well, I hope you're ready to do some moving there Seaweed Brain. Because, drum roll please, you're going to learn how to skate!" Percy's smile faded. It was then replaced with worry and anxiety.

 _Fear_.

"Ok, no no Annabeth. Good joke! Great joke. You really had me there for a second. Seriously, what's my gift?"

"Percy, I'm serious! This is my Christmas gift to you. I'm going to teach you how to skate!"

Percy's expression dampened some more. "Ok, no no no! I'm NOT going to skate! I appreciate the gesture Annabeth. I really do. But I am NOT learning to skate. No freaking way!"

"Percy! How are you going to skate with us if you don't know how to?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on it! Like I said before, I was just going to hang out in the nice little rec room while you guys had fun. They had some good snacks there by the way."

I rolled my eyes at Percy. "Seaweed Brain!"

"What?"

"Come on, I'm going to be your teacher. And, not to toot my own horn here but I'm a pretty awesome teacher. I have my lucky Yankees hat as well today! So you're in good hands!"

"Okay, you're going to need A LOT of luck teaching me Annabeth. Like, a lot a lot. Like, so much that.."

"Percy!"

"No Annabeth, just no." Percy adamantly responded.

"Percy, don't be scared. I'm begging you!"

"Scared? Annabeth, I'm .. not scared!"

I then put my hands on Percy and looked at him. "Percy, I know you. I can sense your apprehension like you can sense when I was feeling down. Look, it's okay to feel scared when trying something new. That's normal. I know that you're still afraid of injuring yourself again like you did when you were young. But I'm not going to let that happen! I promise. I'm going to help you get over that fear and teach you!"

Percy's body eased up a bit as I said that. He then asked. "What makes you think you could teach me?"

"Percy, if I can show you how to graph quadratic functions in math then I can DEFINITELY teach you how to skate!"

"You're not going to give up are you Wise Girl?"

"Not a chance."

Percy gave a loud sigh. "Ugh, why are you so stubborn like me?" he muttered as I gave a little smile. Percy then crossed his arms. "Alright Coach Wise Girl, what's our first lesson?"

I shook my head at the new nickname Percy gave. _I liked my old one better._ "First, don't call me that! Second, put these skates on first." as I showed Percy how to fasten them.

"Now, the first drill we're going to practice on is balance,"

 _ **(A/N: In real life, I have no idea how to skate. I'm just assuming the proper steps needed. So, if you know how to skate, don't hate me for these possibly wrong steps :))**_

After Percy fastened his skates, I grabbed both of his hands and helped him up. He began to wobble a bit as Percy was getting used to being on the ice with skates. However, I kept him steady, holding on to his hands firmly.

"Now, the key to learning how to skate is having good balance. That's fundamental. Without good balance, you can't skate. Plain and simple."

"Great because I don't have that so that's splendid."

I glared at Percy. "Would you shut up and focus! Now, what I'm going to do is let you get used to being on the ice first. Just familiarize yourself for the next minute. Then, I'm going to let go of your hands and you're going to try standing and balancing on your own. Got it?" Percy gave a nod in understanding. For the next minute, I continued to hold his hands as Percy adjusted to the ice.

Slowly, I began to let go of him.

Percy started to, as expected, flail a bit, trying to find a center of balance. I quickly put my hands around his waist, trying to steady him out. Eventually, Percy was able to stabilize himself. I gave a big smile as Percy was standing on the ice on his own.

"See, you got it!"

Percy grinned. "Alright, this isn't half-bad Wise Girl. This isn't half...OH, SHIT!" Percy yelled. Suddenly, he lost his balance. Percy stumbled and fell forward. Unfortunately, I was in front of him still.

We both landed on the ice together with a hard THUMP.

We awkwardly looked at each other for a while as we were down on the ice, Percy looking down at me, on my chest, while I was staring up at him. My brain began to pick up little, weird details like the fact that Percy's heart was beating rapidly, as was mine. He also had a little scar on his face that I just noticed.

 _It was kind of cute.._

Percy was also wearing that same wonderful cologne he used in the concert.

 _Also, minor thing, Percy is on top of me._

After a while, Percy broke the silence. "Um, sorry. I..I lost my balance Annabeth."

I gave an awkward laugh. "Y..Yeah, t..that's okay. I..I expected that! Don't worry!" I stuttered, giving a sheepish grin.

"Um, you want to give it another go?" I asked.

"Uh, definitely Wise Girl. Definitely. We should..do that." Percy stuttered back. We quickly got up and went back to redo the exercise, trying to forget what happened.

After a few more mess-ups and falls, Percy was able to, finally, stand on his own without my help. I gave him a thumbs up.

"Alright, that's awesome! You can stand and balance on your own!"

"Great! Ok, are we done now?" he asked.

"Percy, that was just learning how to balance yourself! Now, comes the fun stuff. We learn how to ACTUALLY skate!"

Percy moaned. "Ugh, come on! Are you freaking serious?"

"Percy, standing and balancing do not equate to skating!"

"Well, if I'm being honest, that's more than enough for me!"

"Ugh, are you trying to aggravate me? Because it's kind of working. Alright, now grab onto both of my hands and follow what I say and do. I'm going to skate backward while you skate along with me. I'm going to go slow and then gradually increase my speed. You can tell me anytime to slow down if you're not comfortable. You ok with that?"

"I don't have a choice do I?" Percy asked. However, he didn't seem angry or perturbed. Instead, Percy was grinning, sort of saying _yeah I never have a choice when it comes to doing things with Wise Girl._

"You're lucky I like you as a tutor. What's next Coach Wise Girl?"

I smiled at him. "And you're super lucky Coach Wise Girl likes her student. Alright, let's learn how to skate."

* * *

 _ **(Rachel POV)  
**_

I arrived at the ice skating rink at around 1:30 pm.

I introduced myself as a friend of Luke to the guard as I went up to the 3rd floor where the skating rink was. I wanted to get some alone skating reps before my boyfriend, Annabeth, and Luke arrived. I was pretty excited and stoked. I hadn't skated in SO long.

Exiting the elevator, I then headed towards the rink. I was about to go on the benches and put my skates on when I saw Percy and Annabeth on the ice together.

Immediately, I started to tense up. My mood dampened. I felt myself getting angry.

 _Really angry._

Okay, this was too far! First, the concert! Then, in the mall, Annabeth argues with me about what gift Percy should get for his mom! Then, she randomly decides to tag along with Percy to shop after lunch!

 _Something's going on! This needed to stop!_

Headed inside, I was about to give them both a piece of my mind when all of a sudden, I heard Annabeth softly say. "Hey, it's okay Percy, You got this."

I stopped. I shook my head, in disbelief of what I heard.

 _Was that..was that Annabeth saying that?_

"Ugh, this is so freaking hard!" Percy complained.

"Hey, be positive!" Annabeth replied, giving him a smile of encouragement.

"Kind of hard when you're continuing to fall on your ass there Wise Girl."

"Seaweed Brain, of course, it's going to be hard if you keep moaning! Now, shut up and trust me. Okay? I got you. Just keep holding my hand and slowly make your way forward."

 _She was..she was teaching Percy how to skate?_

I should've been angry. I should've! Annabeth was holding my boyfriend's hands for crying out!

However, seeing the way Annabeth was patient and understanding with Percy, for some reason, it didn't make me angry. It was interesting.

 _No, eye opening actually_. I never saw this side of Annabeth before. From my interactions with Annabeth, she always came across as reserved and stiff, acting like she was in control of things. Yet, as I saw her with Percy skating, I saw a different kind of Annabeth. Her voice was extremely soft and tender. Her gray eyes, usually stormy and fierce, were gentle like a clear sky. Her smile she flashed Percy warm and understanding.

I was smiling to myself. I began remembering back to the end of the concert. I had come up to Percy furious and livid that he had canceled his date with me. Percy explained he did so because Annabeth planned the concert as a way to show she cared for Percy. To repay him.

I scoffed at the statement at the time, angered. However, seeing them together in the rink now, I slowly came to understand what he was saying.

 _Annabeth cares for me, Rachel._

Wow, Annabeth really does care for Percy.

 _A lot._

After a minute of skating, Percy then fell down on top of Annabeth. He got up and moaned out loud, clearly frustrated at himself.

"Okay, FUCK THIS! I can't do it!" Percy screamed.

"Percy, don't say that!"

"I can't. Ever since I injured my stupid ankle skating, I can't. I FUCKING CAN'T SKATE!"

Annabeth then grabbed Percy with both her hands and looked straight at him. Her gray eyes looked serious. "Percy, look, you can do this alright? You can! I know it! Just forget about before. Remember when I thought I couldn't ride Kingda Ka. Even though I knew I could, I was so freaking scared still. Terrified. Yet, you believed in me! And I did it, we did it, together! Now I believe in you!"

"Annabeth, I don't think I can.." Percy began. However, Percy didn't finish his thought. Annabeth suddenly reached over and gave Percy a kiss on his forehead.

I looked on, in absolute awe, as Annabeth did that. She let her lips linger on Percy's forehead for a while. Annabeth had her arms around him. I could tell Annabeth was putting a lot of her emotions and energy into the kiss.

I was absolutely astonished. Mesmerized. Again, I was seeing a different side of Annabeth as she kissed Percy. One of emotion. Compassion. Deep devotion and care for Percy.

 _Maybe even... love for him._

Removing her lips from Percy's forehead, Annabeth then looked at Percy again. "Percy, you're too awesome to let yourself get overtaken by a stupid ankle injury. You're special like I said. I'm going to be here if anything goes wrong. AND IT WON'T! I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Annabeth finally said, giving Percy a wide smile.

After getting over the initial shock of the kiss, Percy slowly started to smile at Annabeth. He then said, "Um, is it okay if I fall on you again Wise Girl? Cause I feel like I'm going to do that over and over."

"Seaweed Brain, you could fall on me a hundred times and I wouldn't care. All I want is that you learn how to skate, okay?" she replied, giving a grin. Percy then went over and gave Annabeth a hug.

"You're so fucking awesome Annabeth." Percy said smiling. I was smiling as well.

 _Ugh, that is so cute...wait why am I saying that about my boyfriend hugging another friend. Um, because it IS cute._

The two continued to skate for a little while, Annabeth guiding Percy each step of the way.

"Ok, Percy," Annabeth stated. "Right now, I'm going to let go of your hand and you're going to try skating on your own. Got it?"

Percy's face expression, which had been pretty relaxed, widened with fear.

"Wait, what? I can't! I'm not ready yet!"

"Come on Percy! You have to eventually skate on your own. I can't keep babying you!"

"No Wise Girl. Just, no!"

"Trust me, Percy! Okay! Trust me! I'll be here if anything goes wrong!" Annabeth declared as she let go of his hands to a shrieking Percy.

"WISE GIRL! I DO NOT APPROVE OF YOUR TUTORING METHODS AT ALL!" Percy yelled. At first, Percy began to flail around. He started losing his balance. Percy started wobbling a bit on the ice. Annabeth began to skate up to him, under the impression he was going to fall.

 _Oh no._

However, midway, Percy began to regain his balance. He stopped flailing his arms, instead, stabilizing them and forcing himself to stabilize his legs as well. Eventually, Percy was able to center himself on the ice.

He was skating!

"Oh shit, I.. I did it!" Percy exclaimed, realizing he was skating by himself.

"Oh my gods, you did it, Percy!" Annabeth cried out, laughing and clapping her hands in jubilation. She was jumping up and down in joy, like a little girl.

I was smiling as well. _Percy did it! Seaweed Brain did it...whoa, did I start to use that nickname for Percy? Who cares. He learned how to skate!_

Percy was skating around the rink as Annabeth watched, her face absolutely proud and stoked. She had a big smile on her face. I continued to smile as well. I then decided I would go up to my boyfriend and say congratulations.

However, Percy then reached the far side of the ice where I had been standing the whole time. He looked up. His face was in absolute shock as he noticed me.

"Rachel? What are you doing here?" Percy asked in bewilderment. Suddenly, he lost his concentration. Percy then tripped over himself and lost his balance.

He fell hard face first on to the ice.

* * *

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Oh shit, I did it!"

"Oh my gods, you did it, Percy!"

I was so freaking happy, excited. Just..thrilled!

 _He did it! Seaweed Brain fucking did it! And it just took a little encouragement from me! Of course, it takes the Wise Girl to show the Seaweed Brain how to do something. Haha!_

Percy continued to skate around as I stood there, like a proud mom watching her son. Percy then skated towards the far side of the ice rink as I stood in the back, absolutely awed and smiling.

In the middle, though, Percy suddenly exclaimed."Rachel? What are you doing here." I looked towards where Percy was and saw Rachel outside, who was looking at both of us.

 _Wait, was Rachel there the whole time when I was teaching Percy?_ Percy lost his concentration. Suddenly, he tripped on himself. He ended up falling hard face first on to the ice rink. Percy let out a big "AH!" before hitting the floor.

My smile faded. The excitement, gone. New, horrible feelings began to overtake me. Fear. Anxiety. Worry.

 _Overwhelming worry for Percy._

"PERCY!" I yelled. My heart began beating rapidly. My brain was working in overdrive. I skated up to Percy as fast as I could.

Percy then got up, shaking off the impact. I went near him as a took a look at Percy. His nose was bleeding. It looked like he scraped a part of his shoulder as well.

 _Oh no.._

"PERCY...OH, OH MY GOODNESS!" I exclaimed. I immediately knelt beside him and laid his head on my legs. His nose was bleeding quite profusely. The scrape looked painful. I felt myself break at that sight.

"I fell Annabeth,. Percy flatly muttered, stating the obvious. "I just saw Rachel and I lost my concentration."

For a split second, I remembered that Rachel was here again. _Oh no, did she see me kiss Percy on the forehead?_ However, those thoughts quickly faded away, replaced with dire worry for Percy, who was still bleeding.

"RACHEL!" I then yelled, looking at her. "DO YOU HAVE A TISSUE OR SOMETHING! PERCY NEEDS ONE NOW! LOOK!" I exclaimed, pointing at Percy in a frenzy. My gray eyes were running at a million miles an hour.

Rachel had a dazed look on her face the entire time as she saw the events unfold in front of her. Quickly shaking out of it though, she then said. "Um, yes. Yes, Annabeth, I do! " Rachel carefully made her way on to the ice rink. She took out some pocket tissues and handed me some. I proceeded to use the tissue to pinch and cover Percy's nose, trying to stop the bleeding. Some blood ended up dripping onto my hand and Rangers sweater but I didn't care one bit.

I was so freaking worried for Percy.

"Percy.." I began. Emotions began to burn inside me. Some anger. Anxiety. Guilt. _A lot of it._ "I'm so sorry.." I croaked, my voice breaking. I felt a tear coming from my eye.

 _Ugh, why was I feeling like this? So scared. Seaweed Brain just has a nosebleed. That's all!_

"Annabeth, don't apologize."

"No, I shouldn't have let you skate on your own! You weren't ready yet like you said! I messed up! I told you that you wouldn't injure yourself again! I didn't keep my promise!" I stuttered, anger and frustration overtaking. Some tears came out.

"Hey, Annabeth, you didn't injure me. I injured myself, okay? " he softly said, flashing me his usual Percy grin. "I messed up and fell. That's all. Guess that whole _concentration is key_ part is important, huh?"

I felt myself getting angry at Percy's calmness. _How can Percy have the nerve to act so sarcastic and laidback when he's bleeding!  
_

I laid my frustrations and worry out on him as I punched Percy in the arm. "UGH, YOU'RE SO FREAKING ANNOYING!" I yelled, punching him hard.

"Ow, hey! Annabeth, don't worry! Look, I'm okay. I'm okay! Don't worry!" he replied, grabbing my hand for reassurance.

As I realized that Percy was ok, for real, I then took a deep breath and let out a big sigh of relief.

"Sorry. I'm glad you're okay Seaweed Brain." I replied, the emotions inside me slowly but surely fading. I then looked up to find Rachel beside us, who had been looking at the two of us the whole time. There was still some awe in her eyes.

"Rachel, do you want to take over tending to Percy? Um, obviously, he's your boyfriend so…"

"No, it's okay Annabeth." Rachel softly responded. She had a sympathetic look on her face as she looked at me. She placed her hand on my shoulders in an almost comforting, understanding way.

 _That's weird. She should've been angry seeing me tend to Percy._

"Just continue to do what you're doing. I don't want to risk Percy's bleeding becoming worse. You're doing a good job!" she said, smiling at me.

"Okay then," I replied. For the next few minutes, I continued to pinch the tissue against Percy's nose as he laid his head on my legs. In the middle, Percy had annoyingly asked me to sing him a song to make him feel better.

I rolled my eyes at his childish request.

 _Sing you a song? Are you a little kid Percy?_

However, I couldn't help but smile. I cared too much about Percy that I would've done anything to make him feel better. _Even an annoying request._ I then sang Percy the Taylor Swift Christmas song that played before in the mall. We began singing the lyrics together.

I was smiling the entire time, as well as Percy. Rachel too, though she didn't show it. I was feeling so relieved seeing Percy okay and joking around with me.

 _I love seeing that._

All of a sudden, Luke then showed up. Making his way on the ice, his eyes widened as he noticed me sitting beside Percy.

"Annabeth?" he asked, looking at me with curiosity. "What happened?". I stood up, a little shocked, as I looked at my boyfriend.

"Percy fell Luke." Rachel stated, standing up to face him. "He scraped his arm. Also, Percy has a pretty bad nose bleed."

"Oh shit! Is he okay?" Luke asked as he skated towards us.

"Yeah. He just lost his concentration. I'm glad that Annabeth quickly went over to take care of him. " Rachel said, giving me a smile. It seemed genuine, which I appreciated.

"That's great! I'm glad you did Annabeth." Luke said. "Well, um, if Percy's feeling better, we can all go skating now. Of course, that's an if."

I then looked at Percy, concern taking over me again.

"Percy, are you okay? Because you don't have to skate with us. You can just stay on the bench in the meantime."

"No, it's ok. I'll be fine!" Percy answered as he got up. He flashed me his usual Percy smile. That smile can be either so annoying or lovely.

But right now, it was reassuringly lovely as Percy put his hand on me.

"Like you always say Annabeth, practice makes perfect right?"

* * *

 **Christmas Note**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**  
_

For the rest of the time in the rink, we skated, me with Luke and Rachel with Percy.

I kept glancing over at Percy the entire time, making sure he was okay. Percy kept noticing and gave me little smiles here and there, acknowledging that he was alright.

 _Percy's ok. He's fine!_

But why was I SO worried still?

Eventually, after an hour or so of skating, we finally stopped. We decided this would be a great time to exchange our Christmas gifts to one another. I had bought Luke a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (his favorite hockey team. Funny how his favorite sports team ALWAYS seemed to be rivals of mine). Luke had bought me a nice "PINK" sweater from Victoria's Secret and some nice smelling perfume. It was a pretty cool gift and I gave my boyfriend a kiss on the cheek as appreciation.

Percy and Rachel also exchanged their gifts. Rachel had bought Percy a new green and blue skateboard, which Percy loved. Rachel then opened her own gift. She gasped when she saw the bracelet.

"Percy, I.." Rachel began, who started to smile widely. "This is so freaking cool! It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, I had a pretty good feeling you'd like it," Percy said, giving her a wink. Percy then glanced at me and smiled. I gave a little smile back. Rachel then went over to give Percy a big kiss on the lips.

"Percy you're so fucking awesome! Thanks!" Rachel exclaimed, continuing to smile widely. That same feeling of jealousy began to hit me again as I saw the two kiss. I tried shaking it off though.

 _I should be happy that my friend's girlfriend liked her gift. It's .. stupid jealousy feelings, that's all.  
_

Luke finally went up to me in the middle.

"Um, Annabeth?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, what's up, Luke?"

"I have to go now. Sorry. I had made plans with my dad before to go hang out with him at the movies at this time."

"No, it's fine Luke. I'll just stay here a little longer with Percy and..Rachel maybe."

"Oh ok, that's cool. Just tell the dude here that Luke said thanks. Again, Merry Christmas babe!" Luke said as he kissed me goodbye. After watching Luke leave, I then went to the bench and sat down. I continued to watch as Percy and Rachel skated for the next few minutes.

Eventually, Rachel looked up at the time. "We should be leaving soon babe. I'm starving right now. Feeling some Big Nick's pizza"

"Yeah, okay Rachel just um, I have to give something to Annabeth first. Her Christmas present. Do you mind?"

"No, not at all! Take your time! I'll wait outside, okay!" Rachel replied. She then headed out and exited, leaving me and Percy alone in the ice rink. I was still sitting down on the bench as Percy went over and scooted next to me.

"Hey, you."

"Oh, hey." I replied, giving Percy a small smile.

"You had fun today?"

"Yeah I .. I did," I slowly answered. However, I kept thinking back to that injury Percy suffered. How scared I was. Worried.

 _Terrified about Percy._

"You still thinking about when I injured myself, huh?"

I looked at Percy with wide eyes. "How do you know that?"

"I know you Wise Girl. Just like you know me. I can tell when something is bothering you. " Percy slowly said. I took a better look at Percy's right shoulder, which was scrapped. I put a hand on it. Percy winced a bit in pain.

I felt myself getting emotional again.

 _Gods, I didn't want Percy to get injured! On Christmas!_

 _And he did. Because of me._

"Percy, I'm so sorry," I slowly started, not meeting his eyes. "I should've listened to you. I shouldn't have let you skate on your own!"

"Annabeth, you didn't do anything! It was my own, clumsy fault, that's all!"

"No, I ruined your day Percy! I..I ruined your skating experience! I.."

"Annabeth, gods, you always think like this! Ever since you were young!" Percy interrupted as he took hold of me. He held his hands on the sides of my face softly and looked at me intently in the eyes. "You didn't ruin anything Annabeth, okay? In fact, the opposite. I had a great time! A wonderful Christmas! I got to spend it with my awesome, amazing, _special_ friend! I honestly couldn't have asked for anything more! In fact, I think I might go skating more. Of course, that's contingent on if Wise Girl wants to be my tutor."

I smiled at Percy widely as he said all that. I then went over and gave Percy a big hug, Percy returning.

 _I freaking love Seaweed Brain..._

After hugging, Percy said. "I think it's time you get your present my Beautiful Princess Wise Girl," he said grinning. I started giggling when he used that name. Percy then reached into his bag, handing me my gift.

As I unwrapped the gift wrapping, I began to play the gift-guessing game like I did with my dad.

"Is it .. a sketchbook like before?"

"No. I mean, the one I gave you before was perfect Annabeth so there's no point in giving you another one!" Percy proudly stated, grinning as I smiled.

 _Yeah, that's true. I'd give him that.  
_

"Mmm, how about a book on architecture facts?"

"First, what the heck is that? Second, try to guess things other than architecture there Wise Girl." Percy joked as I laughed.

Eventually, I got the wrapping off. I then looked at my gift. It was a simple, black scrapbook. Nothing fancy. You probably could've bought it at a local store for not that much. I looked at the cover and read it aloud.

"Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl's Greatest Moments?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I didn't have a better title for it, sorry." Percy said. "It's just a bunch of pictures of moments we shared. I compiled them in a scrapbook to show you how..how special our friendship is. Come on! Take a look!" I then opened the cover.

"Oh. My. Gods!" I exclaimed as I took a look at the first photo. "Is that your baby picture Percy?" I asked, smiling widely. It was the picture I had seen of Percy as a younger kid at the beach when I went to his apartment. I don't know why but the picture always makes me laugh.

 _It's so freaking cute!_

"Yeah, um, I included it. I mean, I noticed how much you like it. And makes you laugh. Of course, now you can extort and blackmail me with that photo Wise Girl with my friends."

I gave a big laugh and flipped to the next page. They were the photos of us at the AMNH smiling, making silly faces. I got happy and nostalgic as I saw them. I remember having so much fun that day. The rest of the book was just photos and memories we shared together. Each one of them made me smile and laugh even more.

Eventually, I flipped to a page titled "Wise Girl's greatest moments."

I looked at Percy weirdly. "Wise Girl's greatest moments?"

"Yeah, it's a bunch of photos of you I thought were pretty funny." I then looked through them. I frowned. There were pictures of me either looking away from the camera or not looking great. I glowered at one in particular, the picture that we took at Six Flags on Nitro after we rode it. I looked like I had just chased a million monsters.

"You kept that photo from Nitro!" I exclaimed, looking over at Percy.

"Um, yeah. I did say this was Wise Girl's greatest moments."

"Oh my gods Percy, you're so freaking weird! I look SO bad in that photo! My hair is all over the face. I'm scowling. I'm.."

"For the record, I think you look really cute in that photo Annabeth. I mean, you always look cute honestly. That's why I kept it. Besides, it can't be as bad as my own photo. I looked like I just journeyed through the underworld." I wanted to stay annoyed but I couldn't. I felt myself get giddy and warm.

 _You always look cute honestly._

Was I that cute? No... I wasn't. Was I?

Eventually, I laughed out loud.

 _Percy is so awesome._

I finally looked through all the photos. I then looked up at Percy. He had an uneasy look on his face.

"Annabeth, look .. I know this gift isn't as great as that owl necklace from Macy's. I know this is just a bunch of photos of us together. It's ok if you don't like it. I fully understand but I.."

"Percy, I love this gift." I cut him off. I gave Percy a big hug.

"Thank you. Not only for this. But, for being my friend. For being there for me. For..everything."

Percy then smiled as I hugged him. He hugged me back. "And the same Annabeth." After we hugged, we looked at each other, smiling. I then remembered the Christmas note I had for Percy in my back pocket. I began to carefully reach back, hovering my hand over the note.

"Percy, I want to...I have to give.." I began. I was taking a deep breath. In my Christmas note, I had been super honest, like Ms. Thompson advised me to be. I had told Percy how much I cared for him. How much I like spending time with him. How great a friend he was.

However, I added some more things. _Like_ _how much I loved him. A lot. How..special and big a part of my life Percy was to me._ _How I_ _honestly couldn't imagine life without him._

My true feelings for Percy.

I had to give it to Percy. I had to.

However, some apprehension began to take over. I started to feel worried. I began getting nervous. My eyes looked away from Percy. Those same feelings I felt at the end of the concert, when I was about to say to Percy I loved him.. began to take over.

Worry. Fear. Scared to give Percy my note _._

 _Scared to be... honest with Percy about my true feelings._

Again.

I already had been super honest with Percy at the mall at the jewelry store. I told him that I considered Percy special. How I considered our friendship special and unique. That I felt jealous whenever he was hanging out with Rachel.

And that was all true.

But, revealing my _true_ feelings in my note? That .. that was too honest!

 _And being too honest can be bad at times. You don't know how the other person will react. You don't know if they feel .. the same.  
_

"Annabeth.." Percy suddenly asked, looking at me for a while when I didn't say anything.

"I...I want to say thanks again. Thank you, Percy, for making this a great Christmas. I'm really happy you're my friend." I finally said, forcing my feelings down. I went over and gave Percy a hug.

"Um, me too Wise Girl," he awkwardly replied, returning my hug.

 _That's okay. I was honest enough with Percy. And, being too honest about your feelings with someone can be bad_.

Right?

* * *

 _ **(Rachel POV)**_

"Percy, I really can't thank you enough for this awesome gift!" I excitedly exclaimed Percy as we were at Nick's enjoying our slices.

"Glad you liked it! You know..you have Miss Annabeth there to thank! She was the one who recommended this gift for you." Percy replied as he was gulfing down his third slice.

"Really?" I asked. "Wow, that's so nice of her!"

"I know. Annabeth's awesome! Percy stated, smiling widely. I looked up at Percy. The mention of Annabeth's name made him smile. He started to look happy. Carefree.

I began to think back to the ice rink when I saw Annabeth training Percy how to skate. How she was so patient. Understanding. Soft. Gentle. She was determined at all costs to teach Percy to skate.

That was really admirable.

 _And sweet._

I started to think back to when Percy fell and injured himself. The absolute panic that overtook Annabeth. Anxiety. Worry. I never saw her like that before. When Percy happened to injure himself, I would get scared of course.

Yet, Annabeth was frightened. She was in a frenzy, overcome with fear for Percy. I think she might have even cried a bit.

 _It was just a simple nose bleed and she had been absolutely panicked!_

That was incredible.

"Annabeth really REALLY cares for you Percy, huh?" I said, thinking out loud.

"What?" Percy asked, looking at me. He quickly put his pizza down. "Yeah, Annabeth does. But, again, don't hold it against her! We're really close friends Rachel and.."

"No Percy, I'm not offended! In fact, that's so great. Sweet. Beautiful even." I replied smiling at Percy. "You're really lucky to have someone who cares for you that much."

"Yeah, I am." Percy responded, smiling. I smiled back as we then continued to eat our pizza. Thinking back at the mall, so many events now made sense between the two.

 _Annabeth went shopping with Percy after lunch because she wanted to make Percy feel better. Percy got angry at Luke for joking about Annabeth's drawing habits because he knew how much drawing meant to her.  
_

I couldn't help but continue to smile. That was unbelievable. Incredible.

Man, Annabeth and Percy's relationship felt so different. It really was strong. Unbreakable. One of a kind. There was mutual like. Care. Worry for one another.

 _Love...  
_

Annabeth and Percy's relationship was really unique.

And, I liked unique.

* * *

 **Hey, hope you enjoyed! This was quite a chapter to write and kind of hard to epecially after all the fuckups with my internet. But, it was fun nonetheless =)**

 **As always, fav, follow, and of course, leave a review. I love reading reviews. They keep me motivated =)**

 **Anyways, enjoy yourselves! And have a lovely Thanksgiving for those who celebrate!**


	12. Chapter 12- Resolutions

**Hey, I'm back!** **I had a great Thanksgiving break! If anyone happened to celebrate Thanksgiving as well, hope you all enjoyed it and were able to spend it with those they loved.**

 **Reflecting back, I am thankful for a lot of things. A great family, good health, being able to have the time to write fanfic =). However, I'm really REALLY thankful that I have a bunch of awesome fans who are dedicated to this story, especially to those who have been with me from the beginning. I'm glad you guys are able to put up with my really erratic upload schedule and appreciate the work I put in each chapter! Also, I must commend the patience you all have with my story and plot-line. It will heat up soon, I promise you that.  
**

* * *

 **Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. When it comes to the subject of reviews, I usually always try to send you guys a private message saying thank you if you post one. I want to be as personal as possible and to show my gratitude.**

 **However, unfortunately, I can't do the same for anonymous reviews, which I do read as well and love them all. From now on, if there is a review of that nature, I'll respond to them in my opening statements :). I don't want you guys to think that I don't read them; I do and they're awesome.**

 **Response to Chapter 10/11 Reviews**

 ** Guest: Glad you enjoyed the story and appreciate the rising action! Yeah, we're slowly building up to the climax dude/dudette. So buckle up.  
**

 _ **Guest:**_ **Lol glad the story made you gush and happy! T** **hanks a lot and I appreciate it =)  
**

* * *

 **Other than that enjoy the chapter! (Anyone noticed the betterish formatting? Just learned how to do this like two days ago. Pathetic I know lol)  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Resolutions**

* * *

 **Reminder  
**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

Following Christmas, my dad stayed over in New York for a few more days. In that time, we went to many attractions around the city. We had gotten tickets for Hamilton on Broadway (Annabeth's recommendation. Great show by the way), which we saw along with mom. We also went sightseeing around New York, touring the Empire State Building and walking through Central Park, which looked amazing this time of year.

Further, we ate out for dinner, which our family hadn't done in quite a long time together. We went to Burger Joint in Midtown, Joe Jr's on Third Avenue, and Lombardi's Pizza in Little Italy. My dad and I also attempted to try to go fishing at Van Cortlandt Lake but it's pretty hard to do so when the weather is a freezing 35-40 degrees in December. We settled on going to the NY Aquarium in Brooklyn, which was pretty awesome by itself.

So, I would say I had a pretty good holiday with my dad.

As Poseidon was about to board the bus back to Washington D.C Friday night, 2 days before New Year's Eve, my dad then turned to me. "Perseus, er, Percy. I want to say I had a great holiday this year. Thanks a lot!"

"Yeah, dad, me too," as I gave him a high five and a hug.

After we hugged, my dad looked at me straight in the eye. "Again, Perseus, gods dammit, Percy if you want to move in with me to Washington D.C, by all means, I'm open! Seriously, I am. Fuck, did I mention I hate Ares and Apollo? Yeah, I think I did."

I laughed at dad. "Okay, dad, I'll keep that in mind. You know there's a new video chatting app called _Iris-messaging._ Pretty freaking cool. My friends and I use it all the time. Video quality is as crisp as a rainbow. You can keep in contact with me that way." I told him.

"Percy, you know I'm not into that new age crap! I'm old fashioned!"

I sighed. "Ugh dad, why do you act like you're around a millennia years old honestly!"

He laughed. "Hey, the way of the ancient Greeks were great son! I absolutely adore it! The amazing ships they used for battle. The great food. The girls.."

"Dad!"

"Sorry. Um, anyways Percy (wow my dad finally got it right!), I apologize for being so persistent, about this whole moving thing. As a parent, I miss you. But I know that you have school, a social life, girlfriend, and people that are very close and special to you like your mother. And I fully understand. If there's one piece of advice I can give to you Percy, keep reminding those people how special they are. How they mean a lot to you. Be close to them. It's important to do that."

"Um, o..ok dad," I responded. Annabeth began to cross my mind again as dad mentioned _people that are special to you._ However, I quickly shook that thought away.

"Uh, thanks for the advice! And have a great new year!" I added as I gave my dad another hug.

"And a Happy New Years to you to son! Also, practice your fishing skills, will you? Next time I visit, we WILL go fishing. And I expect my son to be excellent, eh?" he stated, giving me a sarcastic grin. I rolled my eyes and continued to look on as my dad's bus left, my mind still pondering on what he said.

* * *

 **New Year's Eve Party**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

My Christmas this year was, by all means, great.

I was able to spend it with my boyfriend and close friends, which was cool. I got some great Christmas presents as well; Samantha gave me an iTunes gift card, which was nice. I used it right away to buy some new music and apps. Also, Luke's sweater and perfume set he bought for me was sweet.

 _Also, don't forget about that awesome scrapbook from Percy!_

However, as I left the ice rink that Christmas day, saying goodbye to Percy and Rachel, I couldn't help but think about one thing.

 _My Christmas note.  
_

I should have given it to Percy. _I freaking should've!_ I had worked extensively on it, rewriting it over and over the days leading up to Christmas. It was heartfelt and sweet.

Yet, I didn't. _I didn't._ I don't know why!

 _It seems like_ _t_ _hese type of things always happen when I'm about to talk about my true feelings..._

However, I couldn't keep worrying about it for too long. Not when there was a big New Year's party coming up.

This year, Luke was hosting an end of the year party at his penthouse, where he had invited EVERYONE from our junior class. Admittedly, I had never been much of a party girl throughout my life. (yeah, I know that's weird considering I went to a dance concert. I just enjoy the music, not the party as much). Also, being considered the "nerdy girl" for a majority of my life never really helped with the _getting invited to parties_ bit.

So I wasn't too stoked.

However, my friends, and Percy were coming. So, it had the potential to be fun.

I arrived a little early at my boyfriend's penthouse to help him out with preparing for the party. His place was absolutely MASSIVE, on the very top of his 30-floor building along Central Park West. His dad, Hermes, was extremely rich and it showed. The place had a beautiful terrace overlooking Central Park. It had a pool table, gaming room, little in-door pool, reading room, and a massive flat-screen TV right smack center of the living room.

It was, by all means, the Mt. Olympus of Manhattan apartments.

For the party, I had decided to wear a white crop top shirt accompanied by some black silky pants. I let my blonde hair down and show its natural curls. I decided to not use makeup, per Percy's advice.

He had once said I looked better without it.

And I believed him.

Arriving, I then rang the doorbell. I was greeted by the sight of Luke. He was wearing a black tuxedo and dress pants, his sandy blond hair gelled and styled. Luke looked really nice. Unfortunately, Luke had a disappointed scowl on his face when he saw me, which ruined the image.

"Um, hey babe." I slowly said, giving a smile, trying to lighten his mood up.

"Ugh, finally you showed up!" Luke flatly stated, disappointment still present. I then frowned. _Well,_ _least I tried._

"Sorry, I was getting ready Luke!"

"Annabeth, gods, I thought I said you should come here by 6:15! It's freaking 6:30 now! Party starts at 7 and we barely have the drinks or snacks set up! Come on!"

"Again, sorry Luke! I really am. I was.."

"Just help me, okay? We have SO much left to do! Thank the gods Drew was here helping me the whole time or the party would have been over. She's a freaking lifesaver!"

I looked over to Drew, who was giving me a little grin, enjoying every moment of this altercation. I fought the overwhelming urge to go over and smack her on the face as I went over to the side, putting the sodas, chips, and cups on the snack table, sighing out loud.

 _My boyfriend acts so paranoid when it comes to parties. He gets all crazy with planning and stuff, getting disappointed in me if I mess up._

I hate when he acts like that...

However, I tried my best to clear my head of those thoughts as people began to flood in droves. Like I said, Luke had invited EVERYONE from our class. And, pretty soon, the place was absolutely packed, the music rocking, atmosphere electric.

I was in the kitchen, grabbing some more Cokes from the fridge as Luke asked me to do when someone went up and gave me a tap on the shoulder.

"Hey, Miss Princess! How are you girl?" the voice cheerily called out. I turned around and met face to face with Piper. My face lit up.

"Hey, Pipes! How are you? I'm so glad you could come!"

"Of course Miss Princess! Wouldn't have missed it. You look awesome by the way!" she said smiling.

"Same to you! And ugh, Piper, are you really going to keep using that nickname?"

"Yes, yes I am Miss Princess. Don't expect that to change, even when the year is over," Piper said, grinning. I couldn't help but grin too. She looked great tonight. Piper was wearing a green and black plaid flannel shirt and some white jeans. Her long choppy brown hair was tied back in a pigtail, which made her look really cute. Her kaleidoscope eyes were bright blue as she continued smiling at me.

"So, where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Well, the guys are in the gaming room now, playing some Xbox. The girls are near the pool, talking. You should come join us, Miss Princess! I think we might do karaoke soon!"

I gave a little grin. "Yeah, I definitely will!" I responded. "Um, have you..have you seen..?" I was about to ask Piper if Percy had come already when all of a sudden, Luke went up to me.

"Annabeth, hey! What's the deal? Where are the Cokes! We're running out of them!" My smile faded. Like before, I began getting frustrated.

"Luke, I'm getting them like I said! Be patient!"

"Well, hurry up Annabeth, please! There are SO many freaking people here, come on!" he exclaimed, shaking his head as he went back towards his group of friends at the pool table. Drew was there as well, giving another grin.

 _I want to smack her face so badly..._

I stared at Luke as he left, fighting the overwhelming urge to scream out loud, angry.

 _I was getting them Luke! Have some patience! Why the hell did you have to invite the whole school in the first place to your freaking party?  
_

"Annabeth, are..are you okay?" Piper asked, concern on her face.

"What? Yeah, I'm..I'm fine Piper! Totally!" I quickly replied, giving her a forced smile. The last thing I wanted was to have one of my friends worry about me at a party.

"Remember Annabeth, this is a party. You should have fun. Chill out! It's almost the end of the year." Piper stated, putting her hand on me.

"Yeah, I..I will! Let me just get these drinks. I'll..I'll catch up with you later Pipes, okay?" I responded as I turned away. As I grabbed the cokes, I looked around and sighed. Everyone was having fun.

 _Except for me._

Ugh, I hate parties. I wish Percy was here already.

* * *

 **Karaoke  
**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

As Rachel and I made our way up the elevator to Luke's floor, she turned to me.

"Do I look good Percy?" she asked. Rachel was wearing some yellow bell pants, a red blouse, and some light-up Nike shoes (I have to say that's pretty cool ). Her bright, frizzy red hair was in a messy ponytail. She was also wearing some red eye makeup and lipstick.

She looked..like Rachel.

And that meant interesting.

"Um, you..you look like yourself, babe. And that's..good." I mentioned, being honest. Rachel gave me a little side-eye.

"Great compliment Percy," she said sarcastically, "You look..NOT like yourself. Like handsome actually." she joked.

"Hey!" I complained as Rachel laughed. For the party, I had decided to wear a blue dress shirt, some black dress pants, and a green tie. I had also used the same ocean-smelling cologne that I wore at the Vicetone concert. Annabeth apparently really liked it.

A lot.

And I believed her.

"You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing Annabeth Percy. I want to thank her for that awesome Christmas gift!" Rachel noted to me.

"Um, yeah Rachel." I responded. As she said that, my mind began to think back to what my dad told me before he left.

 _Keep reminding those who are special to you how special they are. Be close to them.  
_

"I..I can't wait to see her as well." Heading into Luke's place, we were greeted immediately by the booming sounds of Lil Wayne and loud, inaudible chatter.

 _Yep, we're definitely in the right place. Looks like a party alright!_

It was absolutely packed as we entered. I saw almost everyone from our high school. Katie Gardiner, president of the CHB Agriculture Club. There was also Jake Mason, robotics club vice-president. He was helping set up the karaoke machine. I also caught hold of Malcolm Pace, member of the academic decathlon club, who was looking and admiring some of the books that were on Luke's bookshelf. If there was one person who was as close to smart as Annabeth, it was probably Malcolm.

As Rachel and I continued to look around, all of a sudden, someone called her name out.

"Hey, Rachel!" a girl's voice exclaimed. My girlfriend then turned around. We came face to face with Kayla Knowles. Kayla had the same ginger red hair, similar to Rachel, with green highlights, though shorter. Kayla also had some freckles, similar to Rachel. She was wearing a grey T-shirt with the picture of Mozart on it and some polka-dotted jeans. She also had some light-up shoes like Rachel.

 _If Rachel had a sister it would be Kayla._

"Oh, Kayla, hey!" Rachel said as she gave her a big hug. "Percy, this is Kayla. Kayla Percy. I think you two met once. Anyways, I have her for ancient Greek! She's so freaking cool!" I gave a polite smile and extended my hand, which Kayla shook.

"So...what's up girl, how are you?" Rachel asked.

"I'm great Rachel. Just great! Hey, you would not GUESS what I have! Some new cool old Greek prophecies! They're similar to the ones that we saw in our textbook from class. You wanna take a look at them?"

"Oh shit! Really Kayla? Man, let me see!" Rachel excitedly exclaimed, her face lighting up. I looked at my girlfriend and gave a little chuckle. For some reason, Rachel was really into oracles and prophecies, especially Greek.

Personally, I HATED prophecies. They're just..creepy. Too..vague and intentionally meant to mislead you. But again, Rachel was an interesting girl. And she would be the type to look at a bunch of old prophecies during a party.

"Alright, have fun you two. Don't get too crazy." I joked, the two smiling as Rachel and Kayla hurriedly made their way towards one of the nearby rooms. I resumed looking around, trying to find more of my friends.

 _Especially Annabeth._

Walking for a little longer, I had accidentally bumped straight into someone. I turned, about to apologize.

"Oh shit, sorry dude...!" I stopped immediately as I noticed who I had bumped into. My face lit up.

It was my friend Grover.

"Hey, G-Man! What's up, dude?" I exclaimed extending my hand out for a high five.

"What the hell? Watch where your going, man!" Grover cried out, feigning outrage at me. However, he had a smile on his face. I was smiling as well.

"Alright, enough with the act dude. Don't leave me hanging!" I responded as Grover high fived my hand, as well as give me a big hug.

"So, how are you Percy?" he asked as he looked at me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Great. You?"

"Just awesome. Party's great huh? Luke's game room is pretty sick! Just played some NBA 2K with Jason. Man, you and I HAVE to play it, dude!" Grover exclaimed, grinning at me.

I gave a little smile. "Yeah, we'll..we'll see man." However, I began to look around, my mind occupied with trying to look for Annabeth.

I really wanted to talk and see her, especially considering it was near the end of the year.

 _Tell those who are special to you how special they are._

Also, admittedly, I wasn't a big party person such as Grover. I never was. Annabeth was the only reason why I wanted to come to Luke's party in the first place.

"Um, hey Grover," I asked, clearing my throat. "I..I wanted to ask..have you seen Anna.." I was interrupted halfway as I heard the crackle of the microphone from the sound system. Grover and I both turned towards the karaoke area, where we saw Luke, fiddling with the microphone. It looked like he was about to make an announcement to everyone.

"Ahem. Excuse me, attention!" Luke exclaimed. We all turned towards him.

Luke continued. "I wanted to say thank you to all of you for coming to this party! You all having fun, right?" The whole place cheered as he asked that. Luke smiled. If there was one thing Luke was good at, it was making a great party.

 _And hyping._

"Why do I even ask that? Of course you all are. Anyways, everyone continue to have a great time and let's make this the best new year's party ever! Between, we're going to start karaoke here if anyone's interested!"

Almost on cue, I saw the girls come towards the tv area, excited looks on their faces.

Especially Piper.

"DID SOMEONE SAY KARAOKE!" Piper exclaimed as she sprinted towards Luke. "Yes! I've been waiting for this! Ugh, where the hell is Jason when I need him?" she asked, frowning, looking around. I chuckled as Piper then snatched the mic away from Luke, surprising him.

"Alright, hey! Calm down girl!" Luke exclaimed as Piper was next to him, exhilaration present on her face.

"Sorry. Just...gods, I love karaoke! Jason, babe, if you're anywhere, come outside and sing with me!" Piper said out loud into the mic. Everyone took a little glance at Piper, who continued to call out her boyfriend's name. Grover gave a laugh, amused.

"Jason's a smart dude for not coming out," Grover said to me.

"If I were Jason, I would stay in whatever place I was till Piper left,"

"At that rate, it would be never,"

We both chuckled as Piper continued to call out for Jason. Still, nothing. Eventually, she grew a little frustrated.

"Ugh, seems like you don't want to come out Jason! Alright, that's fine! Hazel, you wanna sing with me instead?" Piper asked.

Hazel, who had been on the side, shook her head.

"Would love to Pipes. Really would. But I'm planning on singing with Frank, although he seems to also have the singing blues like Jason."

"Shoot. Okay then. Silena?" Silena shook her head as well as Piper called her name. "Sorry girl. Not great at singing, at all!"

Piper's face was now in a full frown as all her friends said no. "Oh man, this..this sucks! I really wanted to sing _Start of Something New_ from High School Musical! Impossible if I don't have a partner!" As Piper continued to frown, I started to feel bad for her. She really seemed to love karaoke. _Heck, maybe I should go up there._ However, her face then lit up. It looked like an idea just popped into her head. She had an excited look on her face.

"You know what? Annabeth! Where are you? Come on Miss Princess! Let's go and sing!" Piper called out. My eyes widened as I heard Annabeth's name.

"Miss Princess? Hello! Earth to Annabeth!"

Nothing.

"Annabeth? Annie! Beth! Anniebeth! Woo-hoo!" Piper repeated, using every nickname in the book Annabeth hated. After another minute of nagging by Piper, Annabeth finally came forward, from the back. Her face looked absolutely annoyed. She was glaring at Piper, gray eyes fierce.

"Ugh, you're SO freaking aggravating Piper," she muttered. My jaw dropped as I saw what Annabeth was wearing. She looked..AMAZING. Annabeth was wearing a white crop top shirt, which showed off her slim athletic figure and curves. Her silky black pants helped to show off her toned legs. Her long blond hair was running and curling down freely to her shoulders

Annabeth also wasn't wearing any makeup, which was awesome. I always contended that Annabeth looked better without makeup than with.

 _Annabeth..Annabeth took my advice! Wow. I can't believe she actually did!  
_

"Yes, you're here! Yay!" Piper exclaimed, clapping her hands as Annabeth approached her.

"Kind of hard to ignore you when you keep shouting my name in the microphone Pipes."

"Hey, just encouragement! Alright, let's go sing! _Start of Something New,_ alright?" Piper said happily.

"Wait. Annabeth..singing?" Luke interjected. He was still standing around the karaoke place, looking at the two girls with wide eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper asked.

"It's just.." he began, laughing. "No offense Annabeth, but you're not the greatest at singing, to put it mildly,"

"Hey, that's not nice!" Piper mentioned.

"No Luke..Luke is right Piper! I'm..I'm not that good," Annabeth responded out loud. Her face looked down. She looked passive, reclusive.

"Annabeth, that's not true!" Piper exclaimed.

"Look, babe, I don't want you to embarrass yourself. Especially at a party, in front of everyone! If you can't sing, you can't sing. Not a big deal!" Luke finally said. As I watched the back and forth between Piper and Luke, I started to grow angry at him, similar to at the mall.

 _Gods, Luke didn't believe in his girlfriend._ I had heard Annabeth sing, twice, in the mall and at the ice skating rink. She had a great voice! Annabeth shouldn't have doubted her abilities! She just needed a confidence booster. Someone who believed in her.

 _Like during Kingda Ka._

Annabeth didn't doubt me when I was learning how to skate on Christmas.

And now, I didn't doubt her.

"You know what, I'm going to sing with Annabeth!" I then said as I came forward towards the karaoke machine. There was a quelled hush among the crowd. "Piper, give me the microphone!"

"Oh yes! This is even BETTER! A boy-girl duet, just like in the movie! Awesome!" Piper declared giddily, clapping her hands. There were also some cheers from people. Luke had a stoic look on his face though. He was looking at both of us.

"Percy.." Annabeth began, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Annabeth, let's go sing together. Come on!"

"Percy no, I can't. I'm..I'm not good!"

"Annabeth, what are you saying? I heard you sing before! You're fine! In fact, more than fine actually! Great!"

"Percy, that was just between the two of us! I can't do it in front of everyone! No! I.."

"Annabeth.." I softly said as I came close to her. I put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "You didn't doubt me when I was learning to skate on Christmas. Now, I don't doubt you. You can do it. Trust me! You're..you're too awesome NOT to know how to sing."

'Like you were there for me, I'm going to be here for you."

Annabeth still looked hesitant. However, after hearing my words, she started to ease up. She looked at my face, which was in a full smile. Eventually, Annabeth also started to smile a bit.

"Al..alright Seaweed Brain. I'll sing with you." she said, as she grabbed the other microphone. "But let me take the lead for this song! It's .. I know it better."

I gave a little chuckle, which made Annabeth smile even more. "Of course. Wouldn't want to have it any other way,"

"Alright then! Let's go Percy and Annabeth!" Piper exclaimed as the crowd gave a big clap.

 **(A/N: I know... a little corny and trite picking a High School Musical song for Percy and Annabeth to sing. But, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff so.. yaaah ;))  
**

The opening piano riff started to play as the lyrics appeared on the screen. Annabeth slowly began to sing. However, her voice was cracking. Her hand was shaking. She was breathing really heavily. It was clear Annabeth was nervous, uncomfortable, being in front of everyone.

Some people around us started to have worried looks on their faces, especially Piper, Silena, and Hazel. In the back, Drew gave a little smirk and rolled her eyes. Luke had a disappointed look on his face.

I quickly went over and grabbed Annabeth by the hand. I gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze and looked at her. I shot Annabeth an encouraging smile. I then mouthed the words.

 _"You can do this Annabeth. I know you can..."  
_

As she looked at me, Annabeth's shakiness stopped. She began to breathe normally. Looking at me, she started to smile, realizing I was still there for her. Her voice started to stabilize. Eventually, Annabeth was able to get over her fears and feel comfortable.

The crowd then cheered as Annabeth began to sing, better, this time! A look of shock began to form on the faces of Luke and Drew as Annabeth was singing, beautifully in fact!

Then it was my turn.

Admittedly, I am NOT a good singer at all. In all honesty, I think I would rather be taped to a wooden pole on a ship and forced to listen to the Sirens than hear my own singing.

Yet, as Annabeth was next to me, I felt confident. I felt myself at ease.

 _I can do this. Annabeth's with me. I know I can!_

I then started singing. For once, I didn't fuck up the lyrics. My voice was actually harmonized along with the music. I started having a little pep in my voice as I was singing. Around us, the cheering grew louder and louder as the song continued, Annabeth and I singing harmoniously together.

"Wow, they're..they're really good together!" one person said.

"Is that..is that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase there?"

"They have a great connection.."

"Ooo, Luke has some com-pe-ti-tion ya'll!"

"Gods, this is JUST like the freaking movie."

However, the both of us ignored those comments as we continued singing. As the chorus neared, Annabeth and I were looking at each other, singing and smiling. We were dancing a bit to the music as well. We continued to hold each other's hand as we sang.

Annabeth had such a happy, at ease look.

It was beautiful to see.

The chorus then came.

 _ **It's the start of something new**_

 _ **It feels so right to be here with you, oh**_

 _ **And now, looking in your eyes**_

 _ **I feel in my heart**_

By the end of the song, we were really close to each other, face to face almost, as we continued to smile. The crowd around us began to cheer wildly, clapping, making a raucous.

"ANOTHER SONG! ANOTHER SONG!" the crowd exclaimed, chanting repeatedly.

"WOW, THAT..THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!" Piper cried out as she ran to us, smiling widely. Silena and Hazel also came over, big smiles on their face as well. Grover, in the back, tried to play it cool. However, he had an impressed, almost proud look on his face.

"Wow, that..that was fun!" Annabeth stated, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, that was awesome! I told you that you could do it, Wise Girl!" I said grinning.

Annabeth laughed and gave me a nudge. "I know! Man, why did I doubt myself?"

"Yeah, why did you? You always freaking do that," I smirked, which led Annabeth to nudge me again. We continued smiling. Eventually, Annabeth asked.

"Um, Percy, do..do you want to go and, like..ta.."

"BABE, THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!" Luke interjected, running up to her. He then grabbed her, putting his hands on the sides of her face, and gave Annabeth a big kiss on the lips.

"That..that was awesome! Holy shit, I..I didn't know you could sing! Man, you could be part of Glee or something!" As I saw Luke kiss Annabeth, the smile on my face faded. Those euphoric feelings gone. As he continued to kiss her, I felt a new feeling, one I've felt ever since Annabeth dated Luke.

 _The whole year in fact._

Pain.

"Um, I'm going to leave now guys. I have to go..somewhere." I quickly said as I hurried off to the back, not looking back at Annabeth.

"Percy, wait!" Annabeth called out as she looked on at me. However, I had already left, my mind still on that kiss.

That wonderful karaoke moment we shared together, ruined.

* * *

 **Girl to Girl**

 _ **(Rachel POV)**_

"Hey, thanks SO much Kayla for showing me all this! That was so freaking awesome!"

"Yeah, of course, Rachel. Anytime! If you need to find a girl who loves prophecies as much as I do, always give me a call!" I smiled and laughed as we both exited the room, about to head back to Luke's living room. Admittedly, it was a little pathetic looking at weird old Greek prophecies in the middle of a party.

 _Hey, don't judge me. They're really interesting actually!_

Looking around, I then tried to find Annabeth. I had been meaning to say thanks to her for the Christmas gift from the beginning. I ended up finding her near the karaoke machine. She was standing, looking around as if she was trying to find someone. She had a sad look on her face. She was sighing. I felt some concern for Annabeth.

 _This is a party Annabeth! What's with the down face?_

"Hey, Annabeth, sing again, please!" one girl asked her, putting the microphone near her.

"No, I'm ok!"

"But you're really good! I mean, remember before?" she replied.

Annabeth gave a soft smile. "I'm better in duets than singles Courtney."

The girl had a disappointed look on her face. She then went over to find some other person willing to sing.

"Uh, hey Annabeth!" I called out as I approached her.

"Oh, hey Rachel." Annabeth replied, turning towards me, giving a little smile.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Um, that..that was nothing, Rachel. It was just .. Percy and I were singing karaoke together earlier."

"Really? Wow! Must've been good if someone is asking you to sing again, huh?"

Annabeth gave a little laugh. "Yeah, it really was. I had a great time with him.." Her voice then faded a bit near the end. The sad look on her face reappeared.

Trying to change the subject, I then added. "Annabeth, I want to thank you for that Christmas gift! It was really cool and beautiful."

"Oh, that? That was nothing, Rachel!" Annabeth replied, giving a little shrug. "You don't need to thank me! Percy bought it himself. I just helped him pick out a gift, that's all."

"Yeah, but you still helped though." I pointed out.

"Well, to be fair Rachel, if I wasn't the one advising him on his gift search, only the gods know what he might've bought for you," We both laughed out loud at Annabeth's joke. I then went up to her and gave Annabeth a big hug.

"You're such an awesome friend Annabeth! " I said as I continued to hug her.

 _Now I know why Percy likes this girl..._

"Thanks, Rachel. You too." After we hugged, I thought back to Christmas afternoon, where I had seen Annabeth and Percy skate with one another.

I began to smile.

"You know, Annabeth, can I just say, that was a really sweet thing you did for Percy on Christmas for his gift. Teaching him how to skate," I told her.

Annabeth's face lit up. "Yeah, it was," she said smiling. Noticing me, she then cleared her throat. "Um, anyways, it..it wasn't that big a deal Rachel! I just wanted to teach a good friend how to skate, that's all" she replied, almost nonchalantly as if _yeah, I did an awesome thing for my friend. So what?_

"Hey, I wouldn't call it a big deal. I mean, teaching Percy isn't a small task! I think you know as well as I do Percy can be a bit..hard to deal with at times,"

Annabeth chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. But I mean, it was well worth it at the end. Percy learned how to skate! And, I'm really happy about that. He..he makes me happy."

I smiled at Annabeth as she said that.

 _Man, this girl is willing to put up a lot for Percy._

"Anyways, it wasn't THAT sweet Rachel," Annabeth continued. "Not as sweet as some of the other things Percy's done for me."

"Um, what do you mean?"

"Oh," Annabeth uttered, realizing what she just mentioned out loud. "It's..it's nothing Rachel! Sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned that to you being his girlfriend and all. I'll..I'll stop right now." she quickly added.

"Annabeth, no, it's..it's ok!" I quickly said, putting my hand on her. "I'm your friend! It's alright if you tell me. I want to know. I won't be offended, swear on the River Styx."

Annabeth looked hesitant. However, after a while, with me continuing to ease her, my green eyes looking at Annabeth softly, she got more and more comfortable. She then took a deep breath. Annabeth looked around, making sure no one was overhearing our conversation.

In a soft yet firm voice, she began. "Percy's done a lot for me this year Rachel. He's .. he's also done a lot for me in my life. Being my friend since middle school. Hanging out with me. Helping me feel more confident about myself. Like during karaoke. I wasn't going to do it initially. I was nervous. Scared. But Percy kept reassuring me over and over. I kept refusing but Percy's not the best at heeding directions."

"Yep, Percy has a knack to be a.. bit stubborn."

Annabeth gave a little grin. "Yeah, he does. But we ended up doing great. I think we might've bought the whole house down! I mean, Percy's really sweet that way, always having faith in me. I..I really like that about him.." she said, a smile forming on her face.

"I can tell." I softly replied, smiling back.

"Um, anyways, I always remember this one moment I have with him. My dad was supposed to come over for the weekend to visit me from Britain. I was super excited. I hadn't seen him in such a long time! We were going to go to the AMNH, eat out for dinner, visit some cool architectural attractions in New York,"

"Wow, that sounds like fun!"

"Yeah, it..it was going to be. However, my dad, at the very last minute, had to cancel his trip. He had an unfortunately timed matter concerning a close friend of his."

"Oh..oh my goodness!" I told Annabeth, some sadness and sympathy overtaking me. I quickly put my arms around Annabeth. "I'm..I'm so sorry for that Annabeth!"

"It's..it's okay Rachel. I was able to make it up with my dad later on. But, when he initially told me, I felt like complete shit. I was so sad. So angry at my dad. This was the second time he had canceled a visit with me actually."

"Hey, I understand how you feel. Being angry at your own dad. It's okay." I stated, continuing to comfort Annabeth. My own dad worked in land and real estate development for his job. That was a really fancy way of saying he tore down trees and nature to build stuff.

Dad made a good living and our family was well off. But I absolutely hated it, being a pro-environment person. I can still remember my repeated arguments with dad over his line of work, telling him to get a new job to his repeated refusal. I wouldn't talk to dad for days, just livid at him for being so uptight.

That's probably why I hated living a rich, fancy lifestyle and avoided it as much as possible. And why I wanted to go to public school when I moved to New York.

Of course, my anger at my dad wasn't at the same intensity as Annabeth with hers. I, at the very least, still wanted to see dad. I still loved him.

Annabeth looked like she didn't.

"Yeah, I called him some .. unfortunate names over the phone that day." Annabeth continued. "I was miserable the whole night. The day after, I stayed home from school, not feeling well. First time in a long time I missed school. However, in .. in the afternoon, Percy came over to my apartment,"

"He did?"

"Yeah, he just showed up suddenly! I didn't even invite him! I was kind of irritated admittedly. But after a while, I eased up as Percy talked to me. He took me over to his place, trying to comfort me. I felt much better by the end of the day."

I smiled. "That was really sweet of him."

"I know! But, here's the thing. I've come to expect those kinds of awesome things from Percy. That's who he is."

I gave a nod. Suddenly, I had a big lightbulb moment in my head.

 _Percy inviting Annabeth's dad over for Thanksgiving._

Initially, I was peeved by that fact. Percy didn't make mention of it to me until Monday in the cafeteria when we came back from break. The two had been vague about the reasons. I also found it really weird that my boyfriend was THAT involved in another friend's personal life.

However, after hearing Annabeth's backstory, it all made sense now.

 _We care for each other Rachel.._

"That's why Percy invited your dad over for Thanksgiving! It was a way to surprise you!" I cried out, my face beaming.

"Huh?" Annabeth asked. "Um, yeah, it was." Annabeth replied, looking at me a little weird. "Yeah, I was so surprised! I did not expect it at all!"

"Man, that's so fucking awesome!" I exclaimed, my smile growing wider. "That's amazing..just..wow!"

"I know! That was the best surprise probably ANYONE has given me! It's like I said, that's Percy. He's incredible. Amazing. Just .. I really.. I love that about him." she quickly let out. Annabeth then looked away from me. I observed Annabeth for the rest of the while as she was looking on the ground. She was smiling widely, though she tried her best to hide it (she did a bad job though). Her expression seemed so soft and at ease as she thought of Percy. Her face was a little red. She looked so similar to how I saw her at the ice skating rink.

 _Genuinely happy._

Annabeth suddenly began to fiddle around with her necklace. For the first time, I took a closer look at it.

 _Hey, that..that looks really familiar actually! You know what, that's the same necklace Percy has!_

A friendship necklace, for a lack of a better term!

Before, I had always, repeatedly, asked Percy where he got his necklace from. He had always been hesitant to tell me, brushing it off, saying it was from a special person and leaving it at that. Only the gods know how many times I teased Percy to reveal that secret.

Yet he kept refusing.

Now, seeing that same necklace on Annabeth, I understood why.

 _That special person is Annabeth._

"Annabeth." I finally said, as I looked closely at her." I'm glad you and Percy are really close. It's great that you have a friend like him that cares a lot. A special one,"

Annabeth gave me a wide smile. "Thanks, Rachel. That..that means a lot to hear," she replied. I then went over and gave her a hug, which she gladly accepted and returned.

Afterward, I asked. "Where is Percy Annabeth by the way?"

Her smile faded. She then looked over, that sad expression overtaking her again. "I don't know Rachel. I'm trying to look for him. I really want to talk to Percy. But he..he just left after we finished singing together. It..it looked like he was angry, maybe hurt that Luke interrupted our little karaoke moment. I don't know if I should go up to him."

"Annabeth, what are you talking about?" I exclaimed.

"I ruined a moment between us Rachel. It was supposed to be special. Just Percy and I. But, it..it was ruined."

"Annabeth," I said, as I came close to her. "You did not ruin that moment! YOU DID NOT! And Percy knows that! Plus, it's New Years. You NEED to talk to him before it ends!"

"But Rachel.."

"Annabeth, please. The last thing you want before the year comes to a close is regretting not spending it with those that are close and special to you. I can tell Percy is special to you. He's not going to remain perturbed by what happened by that karaoke incident. Like you said, he's too sweet. Too nice. He cares for you a lot to let that bother him. Just..just find Percy and talk. Alright?" As Annabeth took and processed my words, a smile started to slowly form on her face.

"I guess you're right Rachel..." Annabeth said.

"Then vamanos girl! Go!"

Annabeth laughed. "Thanks, Rachel, I..I will," Annabeth said as she went off.

 _Man, those_ _two should be together_ I began to think as I looked off at her.

Even though I was Percy's boyfriend, weirdly, I didn't feel jealous for feeling that. The two had so much care for one another it was incredible. You have to admit that. They felt natural, like they were supposed to be with one another.

Like it was part of a prophecy or Oracle.

 _Hmm, and prophecies are meant to be fulfilled, right?_

* * *

 **Outdoor Conversation**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

As I looked on at Rachel, who was walking towards the pool to go find her other friends, I started thinking back to our whole conversation.

 _Percy's not going to hold it against you. The last thing you want this year is to regret not spending it with those who are special to you._

I thought about it more and more. At the end of our karaoke duet, I had wanted to talk to Percy. Spend some time with him.

 _Alone._

However, Luke had interrupted us and Percy had gone off, clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing. He looked hurt as well.

I was super sad. Guilty. A great, special moment between us ruined. It reminded me of the end of the Vicetone concert, how seeing Rachel kiss Percy made me feel hurt.

Yet, talking with Rachel, reminiscing all those times Percy cared for me, she was right. He wasn't going to hold it against me. Percy cared about me too much to do that.

 _I cared for him too much to not want to talk to him._

I needed to find Percy. I had to go and talk to him before the new year. _  
_

Man, as I thought over Rachel's words, I started to chuckle a bit.

 _Huh_ , _you know Rachel .. Rachel is not bad at all! She's really nice, caring, and..understanding!_

Man, why did I hate this girl so much in the first place? Ugh, Annabeth, you're SO freaking weird.

I then quickly began to search around the party, trying to find Percy. _Where is he?_ I took a look at my watch. 10:45. _Crap, little more than an hour till the new year hits!_ Some of the kids were still dancing to the music. Others were talking and laughing with one another. I think I might have caught hold of Leo in the kitchen trying to flirt a bit with Calypso.

I then got to the pool table and found Luke there. He was with the Stoll Brothers, Drew, Charles and Silena, cards on the table. Travis was trying to teach Luke how to play Texas Hold'em. I think they were using real money as well, which made me feel a little worried for Luke.

"Annabeth! Miss Singing Girl! Come here!" Luke called out, giving a grin, as he waved his hand at me. "Also it would be cool if you could get a Sprite for me babe."

"Um, hey Luke. I'm going to go somewhere else," I quickly said as I veered off to another place.

"Come on Annabeth! I'm sorry for being so bossy before! I had a party to plan. You have to understand! " Luke exclaimed as he was about to go up and head to me.

"No Luke! I don't want to! I'm trying to find someone!" I snapped.

Luke eyes widened at my tone, which had gotten unusually loud. He stared at me for a while, thinking I was joking.

I wasn't.

Eventually, giving a little awkward laugh, he replied, "Um, o..ok then? Sorry, Annabeth." The whole time Drew was looking at me, that same stupid grin on her face.

 _If I could do ONE thing before this year ends, just ONE thing, it would be to smack Drew. Just a tiny, painful smack..._

I ignored her though and resumed looking for Percy. I looked back towards the karaoke area. The girls were now there singing, with the guys having joined them, sitting down on the couch observing. Piper was currently singing _Gwen Stefani's- Hollaback Gir_ _l,_ using her charm-speak abilities quite nicely throughout the song. The entire time Jason was looking at his girlfriend with a mixture of both awe and fear while the girls were smiling and laughing.

"Wow, Pipes can really sing, huh?" Frank noted as he gave a respectful nod to her.

"Yes, yes she can. That's why she likes karaoke. Also, I'm absolutely terrified of her song choice," Jason replied, continuing to stare at his girlfriend. Piper smiled at him and went over to Jason.

"Come on Jason, sing with me! Finally, I got hold of you and you WILL sing!" Piper mischievously exclaimed, pointing the karaoke microphone at him.

"Oh, absolutely NOT Piper! I'm just here to watch, THAT'S ALL, alright!" Jason exclaimed. Piper gave a frown.

"Come on babe. It will be fun! Loosen up a bit, would you? Percy and Annabeth did it!"

"Okay, first, from what I heard, they're good. We're not..at least I'M NOT." I gave a little smile. However, I got little down at the mention of Percy.

 _Man, where is he?_

"Hey, remember Piper, Frank and I are next, alright? Can't wait to sing _Billy Joel- Uptown Girl_. " Hazel chimed in.

Frank looked at Hazel with a quizzical look. "I never agreed to that Hazel! I never did!"

"I know. But because you're such an awesome boyfriend, you will!" Hazel said cheerfully.

Frank stared at her for a while. Eventually, he let out an exasperated exhale. "Ugh, you know me too well Hazel." he muttered which made her grin.

In the meantime, Piper continued to try to convince Jason, who was adamant in his opposition. "Piper, no I'm not going to sing and that's final," Jason finally stated, crossing his arms. Piper shook her head in disappointment. Suddenly, Piper got really close to her boyfriend, microphone in hand She put her hands on Jason's shoulder in an intimidating fashion, towering over him. Her kaleidoscope eyes began to change colors. A rebellious smile formed on her face as the chorus of the song came.

 _Few times I've been around that track._

 _So it's not just gonna happen like that._

 _'Cause I ain't no hollaback girl_

 _I ain't no hollaback girl_

Piper continued to smile as she sang, dancing along to the music in front of her boyfriend. She was wagging and pointing her finger at Jason playfully, who continued to look at his girlfriend, eyes wide, flustered, as Piper continued her act. Eventually, Jason gave a big smile.

"Ugh, you know what? You're wild Piper. A rebel. But, I like that about you," he said as he went up to her and gave Piper a big kiss. Piper's eyes lit up massively as Jason continued to kiss her. He then grabbed the microphone and began to sing along with her, everyone smiling and cheering.

I smiled as well; my friends all looked like they were having a lot of fun. However, I still needed to find Percy.

I continued to look around the penthouse, searching each room. However, nothing.

I started to get down. _Maybe I won't be able to spend time with Percy during the New Years._

Eventually, I was about to give up. However, my eyes then caught hold of a small room all the way to the back of the penthouse. It looked pretty empty. I quickly remembered what that room was.

 _The room that led to the mini-terrace._ Luke's penthouse had two terraces, the main one in the front and the mini one on the far side. This was much smaller and less extravagant than the other. It was pretty hidden away from the main area of Luke's apartment. Not many people knew or went there.

 _Maybe Percy is in there...  
_

Navigating towards the back, I slowly entered. There was, in fact, Percy, peering over the edge of the ledge, taking in the lovely view of Central Park West and New York City. He had his phone out and was playing some music. His sea-green eyes looked wistful and in a state of contemplation. Percy's jet black hair was blowing softly in the direction of the breeze.

I slowly opened the door and went up to Percy. I then gave him a light tap on the shoulder.

"Um, hey Percy. I was looking for you." I softly said as I went beside him.

Percy looked back at me and gave a surprised look. "Annabeth...How.. How did you find..?"

"I looked in every room in the penthouse Seaweed Brain. Took me a while but I was persistent. Thanks for making me look by the way." I said, giving a small smile to him.

Percy gave a little grin. "Oh, sorry for that." he awkwardly replied, making me laugh a bit. "So, um, you're going to stay here?"

"I mean yeah, I want to hang out with you Percy. I wanted to hang out with you ever since the party started. Plus, you know me, I'm not much of a party girl. Never was. I like a little quiet time."

"Yeah, the same," Percy softly stated. After a while, Percy scoffed. "So NOW you decide to spend time with Seaweed Brain than Luke Charming, huh?" he exclaimed, some bitterness in his voice.

"Percy!" I yelled, feeling hurt by his words. I looked at him, some pain in my eyes and expression. "I'm sorry! I didn't want Luke to do that! You have to understand! Percy, I had a great time singing karaoke with you! I really wanted to talk to you after.."

Percy then looked over. The harshness on his face dissipated as he saw my pained expression at his words. His eyes widened. Percy then put his hand on me.

"Gods, I'm..I'm so sorry Annabeth! I didn't realize. I just..I'm angry admittedly. That karaoke moment between us felt great. Really special. Just the two of us. I felt that it was ruined when Luke barged in. I wasn't angry at you! I .."

"I know Percy," I responded as I cut him off. "You don't need to apologize. You don't. I felt the same feelings like you after the Vicetone concert."

Percy's eyes widened. "What, really?"

"Yeah. Like you said, I like having these little moments between us. They are special like you say. I don't want anyone else to come between them."

"Yeah, me too." Percy softly answered, giving me a little nod. "I mean, still, I had a fun time Annabeth! No one will take that away. Ever. Between, you were really great! Your voice is amazing Annabeth."

I smiled widely. "Like Vanessa Hudgens amazing Percy?" I joked.

Percy laughed. "Well, for one, you do NOT need autotune like she does in the movie. Second, you look WAY better than her Annabeth. Not even joking,"

I started getting giddy. "I took your advice there Seaweed Brain. The no make-up look."

"And I'm glad you did," I smiled. I then got really close to Percy and softly rested the side of my body on him, head on his shoulder, as I began to admire the Central Park view. Percy looked at me for a while, a little taken aback. However, he gave a soft smile and continued to let me rest my head on him. I was happy that we were alone and together.

 _There was no one to ruin our moment, like before._

"Hey, Annabeth, I want to say you did a great job in setting up for the party. It looks pretty awesome."

My smile faded as Percy said that. I slowly re,plied "Yeah, thanks." I softly told him. I was thinking back to when Luke acted harshly against me.

Percy sensed my displeasement. "Are..are you ok Annabeth?"

"No, I'm.." I quickly began, trying to change the subject. However Percy continued to stare at me, those soft sea-green eyes focused and concerned. It was no use to deny if something was bothering me. Percy knew me too well.

I let out a big exhale. "It's Luke. Sometimes he can be a bit too much Percy. Like, earlier, before the party started, he got angry at me for coming late and not helping him set up. He..he got super harsh and mean."

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong, Luke can be sweet. And nice. And I really like and admire those parts of him."

 _Like with Percy._

 _"_ But at other times, Luke can act harsh and insensitive. He can act so distant, with his sports and social life. He can be a little.."

"Obtuse?" Percy interjected.

I looked over at him, surprised. "How did you..?"

"You've used that word a couple of times before Annabeth."

I gave a little smile as Percy said that. "Yeah, obtuse. That's the word. I feel like I'm not..honest with Luke about certain things. I don't tell him how I feel about the things he's doing, like when they're bothering me. And I don't think Luke is honest with me either. I don't really like that Percy,"

Percy put his arms around me as I continued to lay on him, trying to comfort me. "Annabeth, you shouldn't feel that way. You're a great girlfriend. I know you are! Maybe those things are just a part of a relationship, right? The quirks. You'll iron them out eventually. I know you will."

I smiled at Percy as he said that. I then gave a little moan. "Ugh, you always amaze me with how awesome your words can be Percy! Stop doing that next year, would you?" I responded.

Percy laughed. "Weird request but all right."

I laughed as well. I then gave Percy a soft nudge, this one loving though. "Alright enough about the Wise Girl's love life Seaweed Brain. So, how about you? How's dating a former cheerleader going, huh?" I asked, grinning at Percy.

Percy chuckled. "Very funny. I mean, it's..it's cool. Rachel's really nice and caring. And she's fun to hangout with. But I don't really make a big deal of that cheerleader stuff Annabeth."

I looked at Percy in a funny way. "Really Seaweed Brain? I thought all guys would drool over that fact!"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, it's cool and all that she used to cheer-lead. But, again, I don't make a big deal of it! I'm not really looking for those qualities in a girl. I don't care too much for those things."

I got off Percy and shot him a stare. "Alright Mr. High Standards, so what ARE you looking for in a girl, huh? An annoying, uptight, smart-ass karaoke chick like myself?" I joked, being self-deprecating. Percy gave a little smile. However, he had an uneasy, tentative look to him.. Percy didn't meet my eyes as he looked down on the ground.

 _As if he was about to say something._

Awkwardness ensued, the only noise present the distant music from inside and the cars swerving by below. After a while, I asked, "Um, you..you have any good music on your phone Percy?"

"Um, yeah Annabeth, I.. I absolutely do." Percy stammered. He then went over to his phone and hit the shuffle button.

 **(A/N: Tried to expand the songs I included to have more emotional ones from a wide range of genres. I don't only listen to EDM ya know ;))**

I started to take in the music as I heard the songs playing. The first one was _Zedd- Lost at Sea_ , which had vocals from Ryan Tedder. Then, _Fireflies by Owl City_ (Percy and I began singing out loud together. It's so hard NOT to sing along to this awesome song!). Also, _Gavin DeGraw's- Make a Move._

Finally, _100 Years by Five For Fighting_ started playing. My eyes lit up as I heard the opening piano riff.

"Oh, my gods! I love this song!" I exclaimed as the chorus came.

"Same!" Percy replied grinning.

"It's such an amazing song! The lyrics and meaning are so beautiful. I remember having this on replay for a whole week during 8th grade when I first discovered it!"

"Yeah, I remember that phase QUITE well Wise Girl." Percy said, making me laugh. "And, I agree with you. This song is great! It really makes you think about life. How fast time flies by. The..the people that you're close with in life.." Percy slowly stated, his eyes and tone getting a little wistful.

Hearing that, I began to think back to that conversation with Rachel.

 _You should spend it with someone that's close and special to you._

I began to think back to all the moments of the year that I experienced. My first boyfriend. The start of junior year high school. Thanksgiving with my dad. Christmas.

 _All those moments I shared with Percy.  
_

It was hard to fathom that the year was now winding down to an end.

 _It felt so quick. So..sudden.  
_

As if he was reading my thoughts, Percy said, "Man, I can't believe this year is almost over Annabeth,"

I looked over at him. "Yeah, I know. It's crazy! I mean, we started high school together only about 2 years. However, it honestly feels like yesterday!" I replied.

Percy softly nodded. "Agreed. And, before we know it, college! That's unbelievable. Also the SATs. Hope you're ready to tutor me, Wise Girl because I am going to need A LOT of help,"

I smirked. "As long as my student provides me with the appropriate amount of blue cookies, I think I'm available " I replied making Percy smile. For the rest of the time, we continued to listen to some more music on his phone as I laid my head again on Percy, songs from _The Script_ and _One Republic_ playing. A light but pleasant snow began to fall in New York. More and more people began to gather below, anticipation for the approaching year building every minute.

In the middle, I asked, "You have any favorite moments of the year Percy?" looking up at him.

"Favorite moments?" Percy repeated, a bit confused at the premise of my question.

"Yeah, just..any moments, memorable, special, or fun, that you remember. Like karaoke tonight. I mean, since the year is coming to an end, it's not a bad idea to go back and reflect, right?"

"Hmm, yeah, that's..that's true I guess," Percy noted. He then started grinning. "Well, the way you looked when you got off that Nitro ride Annabeth.."

I glared at Percy. "Okay, funny moments that DON'T include me mind you!"

Percy chuckled at my response. "In all seriousness though, there were so many great moments throughout the year. That AMNH museum trip we had together. Fright Fest. Obviously, that amazing Vicetone concert with you! That was..wow." Percy mused, his eyes beaming.

"I know! That night felt..so magical. Amazing. Incredible,"

"Yeah, it really was." Percy softly answered, his eyes assuming a far-off look as he reminisced back to that. Percy quickly got out of his daze and continued." Also, Christmas morning breakfast with my dad and mom was really special. My mom really liked the gift you recommended Annabeth. She especially loved the note I gave her. I can't thank you enough for helping me write it!"

"Hey, it's nothing, Percy! It really isn't! I'm super happy your mom loved it. "

Percy gave me a wide smile back. "You always keep reminding me how awesome you are Annabeth," he stated, tightening embrace with me, making me feel more warm and happy.

"Alright now, it's your turn! The Wise Girl's favorite moments of the year!"

"Hmm," I started, musing to myself, thinking over that question "There's..there's quite a lot honestly. That sleepover at your place Friday night! That was really awesome! I had a lot of fun that day. I was able to forget about all my troubles I had with dad. Honestly, you didn't have to do that! You really didn't Percy!"

"Hey, and like you said Annabeth, it's not a big deal at all!" I smiled again. I continued.

"Also, when we went to see the Thanksgiving Day balloon inflating event. That was cool!"

"Oh, shit, that was awesome!" Percy exclaimed, his eyes widening. "There were so many great floats that day! Spongebob, Ben 10, Buzzlight Year! Hey, you know, I STILL say that Finding Nemo is better than Monsters Inc Wise Girl!"

I laughed at Percy and rolled my eyes. "And I beg to differ Seaweed Brain," with him now rolling his eyes. However, I wasn't thinking about the balloons. Instead, I was remembering the moment Percy had comforted me when I began to cry and feel hurt over my dad. He had taken me over to a nearby bench and sat with me. I can still remember vividly resting my head on his shoulders while he was brushing away my tears and ruffled hair curls from my face.

That was so nice. So amazing. So..Percy.

 _He also gave me a new nickname that day. Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. I still think it's SO corny and a little weird but I love it. Always makes me feel happy!_

"Any other moments Annabeth?" Percy continued, interrupting my thoughts.

"Huh?" I asked, getting back to reality. "Oh, um, that Christmas gift you gave me was great! Between, thanks SO much for giving me your baby picture Percy! I look at it at least once a day!" I told him, grinning mischievously.

Percy frowned and sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have given it to you. Why did I do that? Why?" as I chuckled.

Percy continued. "Alright, any other moments. Special? Memorable?"

"Um..." I said, thinking hard. _Any special moments?_ I began to think back again to the conversation I had with Rachel, where I told her about all the sweet things that Percy had done for me. Rachel was able to piece together that Percy invited my dad over for Thanksgiving as a surprise.

I looked at her first for a while in puzzlement. _Rachel's smarter than I give her credit for._ However, her face had a genuinely stunned, happy look.

 _Man, that's so fucking awesome_ she had exclaimed.

Yeah, it was. It was great. Amazing.

 _Special._

"When you helped convince my dad to come over for Thanksgiving." I finally stated, looking straight at Percy, serious.

"Annabeth.." Percy began, taken aback by my look.

"That was a special moment Percy. A really special one. My top one of the year. Because it reminded me of how awesome and caring you are. How special our friendship and connection is. I will always, forever cherish not only that moment but our..our friendship."

Percy's look softened as I said that. He then looked at me and smiled.

"Me..me too Annabeth. I'm glad your my friend. " he softly stated as he hugged me. I had some weird butterflies in my stomach as he did that. We continued hugging each other for a long time, I not wanting it to end.

Percy then asked. "Alright now, here's a new tough question. Since New Year is around less than an hour, resolutions Annabeth?" he said smiling.

I got down a bit when we broke off our hug. However, I started to think more and more about what Percy said.

 _Resolutions.._

"To be honest Percy, I haven't thought about that. What my resolutions for next year are. Never..never had the chance to really think about it," I mentioned.

"I..I mean it's never bad to make some, right?" Percy mentioned. "My mom always told me that a new year means a new chance and opportunity to start over. To change yourself. A chance to stop making the same mistakes that you might've made the previous year."

"I..I guess you have a point, Percy," I replied, thinking over his words. _A chance to s_ _top making the same mistakes._ "Well, um, for one, I want to maintain a good GPA for college. A 3.8 or above would be great. Maybe get some architecture-related internships. I also want to get above at least 2000 for the SAT."

"Those are nice goals, albeit Wise Girl specific." Percy noted giving me a little grin.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling as well. However, I wasn't really impressed with them. Those were just academic goals.

 _Not personal._

 _A chance to s_ _top making the same mistakes._ My mind began to think back to Christmas day, the note I had for Percy. It had been super honest and thoughtful. But I had been so reluctant and anxious, _scared,_ to give it to him. To be open.

 _To tell him my feelings._

It was the same with my boyfriend, not only at the party but throughout our relationship. The same with my dad. Friends.

 _Percy._

This refusal to be open and honest.

I wanted to change that. No, I NEEDED change that!

"I want to be more honest with people Percy," I then said out loud.

"Um, what..what do you mean Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"It's.." I began, taking in a deep breath. "Throughout the whole year, I haven't been open with my friends, dad, or Luke about my problems or feelings. The first time I ever told anyone about how I felt about dad was to you,"

Percy nodded sympathetically. I continued.

"I always feel, _felt_ , that being too honest about those things was..too open. Too much. You..you don't know how others will react. How they'll take what you say if you're truthful about how you feel about them. I worry about it, too much," I said. "Yeah, I know I suck at feelings Percy. Samantha once told me that. So if there's anything I would change about myself, it would be that,"

"Hey, don't feel down,. Percy noted, putting an arm on me. "Um, if..if it makes you feel better Annabeth, I'm not the greatest at feelings either."

I looked over at Percy. He cleared his throat and continued. "I had a little conversation with my dad before he left Annabeth. He was telling me how I needed to remain close to those are special. However, sometimes, I feel like I don't do that. I don't tell those that are special to me how special they are. How..how much I really love them. I..I worry sometimes the way they would take it like you said. Whether..whether these feelings of love I have are..returned, " Percy's voice wavered near the end. His expression hardened a bit. He did not meet my gaze

I gave a soft nod.

 _Whether these feelings of love I have are returned._ I felt the same as well. With my dad.

 _With .. certain people._

"Hey, that's why there's a new year right? To make amends to change yourself!" I then firmly stated as I put my hand on Percy. "Look, we have a new opportunity to start over Percy? To start being more honest when we need to be, right?" _  
_

"Yeah, that's..that's true." he replied, his expression starting to lighten up. He then gave a little smirk. "Man, we have a lot in common than I realized Wise Girl," he stated.

"Yeah, I didn't know that either," I noted. There was some silence that pursued a while. Trying to lighten the situation, I then joked, taking note of Percy's party attire. "You know, if I'm going to start being more honest with you, wear a dress shirt more often Percy! You look much more..presentable in it Seaweed Brain!" I teasingly told him.

 _No handsome. Really REALLY super handsome actually. Gods and that cologne he's using is awesome! Should I include that as part of being honest? No... I shouldn't. Right?_

"Oh gee thanks, Wise Girl," Percy replied sarcastically as I laughed out loud. I then looked back and took a glance inside, trying to see what was up. It looked like the party was still going on in full strength. I caught hold of Luke, who look liked he was still absorbed in his poker game. By the big mischievous smirk on his face and Travis's stoic expression, I would've guessed that Luke had probably won some money from him. I also caught a hold of our friends, who had now switched over from karaoke to playing _Just Dance,_ Piper and Jason dancing to _Maneater by Nelly Furtado._

Percy gave a little grin, noticing the same thing as I did. "If I had a hunch of who picked that song, I would pick Piper,"

I laughed. "More likely than not. You know she was singing along t _o Hollaback Girl_ before in karaoke right?"

Percy sighed. "Of course she picks that song. That's SUCH a Piper song!" he muttered as I laughed again. Percy took a glance at his seashell watch. _11:15 pm._ 45 minutes until the New Year started. "We..we should head back inside Annabeth. Maybe we can do some more karaoke together?"

I grinned. However, I felt down. I didn't want to go back inside. I liked spending some time alone with Percy, just talking, no one bothering us. Being open with each other.

 _No distractions like before.  
_

It reminded me of our time during middle school, where we would spend hours together, hanging out, talking about anything.

 _I miss those times. A lot._

Percy interrupted me in the middle of my musing "Hey, Annabeth," he said as he was about to head in. "You know, if I'M going to be more honest, I always really wanted to go to Times Square for New Year's actually,"

"Oh yeah, I remember you telling me that. We planned on going together." I replied.

"Yeah, yeah we did. I think you came up with a REALLY detailed plan on exactly EVERYTHING we would do before, during, and after getting to Times Square,"

"Yeah, that sounds like me."

We both laughed, both of us getting nostalgic. Percy then gave a little exhale. "Well, we're here now and have a party to get back to. Let's head back in Wise Girl," he said as he reached his hands out.

I stayed there for a while though, my mind going back to the entirety of our conversation outside. Going through our favorite moments of the year, which included a lot of Percy. Our resolutions we made. Recalling the..the mistakes I made throughout the year.

 _Especially with my feelings._

A new year meant a new chance to change myself. To not make the same mistakes as the year before.

 _To do things.. differently.  
_

"You. know what Percy?" I said out loud, looking up at him confidently. "Let's go!"

"Let's go?" Percy asked, giving an awkward laugh. "Um, what are you talking about Annabeth?"

"You and me. Times Square. Right now!"

"You're..you're joking right?" Percy asked, eyes wide, as he stared at me.

"No.. I'm not! The new year is almost coming! Let's start it off with something different! Something new! A change for once!"

"Annabeth, that's..that's not what I meant by change..."

"Percy!" I exclaimed, interrupting him. "You don't know when we're getting to get another chance to go to Times Square for New Years! Especially with someone as freaking awesome as me," I said, grinning.

Percy smiled, rolling his eyes at my comment. He then gave me a serious look. "I mean, we have a party to get back to Annabeth though,"

"Hey, fuck this party! I don't want to keep having to fetch stupid cokes for Luke," I told him. I was surprised by my tone and language. However, I didn't care.

 _It's almost a new year for crying out loud! A new chance for something different!_

To spend time with those who are special. _  
_

"Come on Seaweed Brain!" I said, grabbing his hand. "Let's go make another new awesome, special moment together!"

* * *

 **Good View**

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

As Annabeth was dragging me down the street, I took a chance to take note of how weird I found the whole situation.

"Wise Girl, you're..you're really serious about this, aren't you?" I asked as we headed to the station.

"Yes, yes I am," she replied as we headed aboard the C train.

"What..what gives?"

"Hey, I just..I thought we would start this New Year off with a bang! And there's nothing more epic than watching the Times Square ball drop live, don't you think?"

"Yeah. But ditching a party in the process?"

"Percy, ball drop or annoying as hell Stoll Brothers? Being around millions of awesome people or having to be near annoying-ass Drew. Honestly, is that even a choice?"

I laughed. "Alright, point taken," After a while, I added, "Can I just say, if I'm being honest, I really like this side of you Annabeth," I noted.

"Well, maybe you'll see more of it soon then next year," she said, giving me a playful, beautiful smile which made me melt. I looked at Annabeth in absolute awe. Her face and attitude were so positive and laid back. It was similar to in the concert, during karaoke.

I absolutely loved it. Annabeth is at her best when she doesn't worry or care about anything. When she's..herself.

 _It's really beautiful to see._

Before leaving, Annabeth attempted to talk to Luke to tell him that she was about to leave.

"Luke, I'm about to head out now to Times Square!", Annabeth confidently said.

"Okay, that's...I FUCKING HATE YOU TRAVIS!" Luke then screamed, absolutely livid. Okay, I don't know anything about poker but I would've taken a guess that Luke lost some money off of Travis

"Don't take this the wrong way, Luke. I'm just going to go hang out with Percy, alright?" Annabeth continued.

"Yeah, that's..that's fine Annabeth! That's totally..UGH, YOU GOT SO FUCKING LUCKY ON THAT LAST HAND TRAVIS! YOU ARE SUCH A LUCKBOX! WHY WOULD YOU PLAY THOSE CARDS?" Luke yelled again.

"Hey, just the Travis magic bro. Just the Travis magic! Can't handle it?" Travis responded as he got a high five from Connor. Luke then lunged after Travis, which got Octavian, Drew, and Connor to laugh in amusement. Also on the table, Silena looked over at Annabeth in sympathy, mouthing the words _sorry. Boys being boys Annabeth._

Annabeth sighed. She then headed out, not looking back at her boyfriend.

Before leaving, I caught hold of Rachel, who was with the girls now, playing some karaoke.

"Um, hey Rachel."

"Hey, Percy! What's up?"

"I'm..I'm about to head out now."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'm going to stay here a while. Talking to the girls."

"No I'm .. I'm going to go Times Square with Annabeth to see the ball drop,"

"Really? Wow. That sounds fun!"

"Look, don't..don't take it the wrong way, Rachel! Annabeth and I have been meaning to go to Times Square for New Year's for a long time and.."

"Hey, no, don't worry about it, Percy!" Rachel interjected, placing her hand on me. "I understand that you and Annabeth are really close. And that's nice. You should spend your New Years with those you are close with. Just..just have a good time. And, take care of her, would you?"

I looked at my girlfriend, stunned. _She was acting so cool now with Annabeth. What's up with that?  
_

Hmm, maybe it's just the New Year's spirit or something...

As Annabeth and I headed out the subway, I took a quick glance at my watch. _11:40._ 20 minutes until New Years.

"We should hurry up Annabeth. Ball's going to drop soon,"

"Yeah." Annabeth commented as we exited the Port Authority stop. However, as we got out, we were greeted by the sight of police and guard rails. They were pushing people back, telling them to go find another spot.

From what I could tell, it was extremely crowded outside and packed.

"Oh shoot," I said. "Crap, they're..they're blocking the exit! I don't think we can get through. Annabeth, I'm sorry, it looks like we can't.."

"Hey, don't worry Percy, I know a shortcut!" Annabeth exclaimed as she grabbed my hand. "Just take the 7 train 1 stop to Bryant Park and exit there. We'll be around the area of Times Square and navigate through. We have to hurry though; like you said, the ball's going to drop soon!"

I looked at Annabeth in amazement as she explained her plan. I smirked. "Gods, you really did plan EVERY little detail for Times Square Wise Girl."

"Hey, always have a strategy and a backup strategy, right?" she said grinning as we headed to the 7 train.

 _Damn, Annabeth's a smart girl._

 _Beautiful and smart._

Deadly combo.

We then exited the train and made our way outside. Annabeth was right; the place was substantially less crowded, with less people and police. We were able to walk with relative ease towards the area of Times Square.

As we continued walking, I began to take in the whole scenery. Personally, as a New Yorker, I don't often go to Times Square. It's always extremely crowded, with lots of people, especially tourists, even on non-holiday weeks.

However, you still couldn't deny how beautiful and awesome of a place Times Square was, especially at night. The bright, flashing billboards. The towering buildings to the left and right of you. The smells of so many wonderful foods from the food carts overtaking the atmosphere. The electric, vibrant energy that Times Square gave off.

It was especially crazy tonight. I saw so many faces there of different ages, races, and sizes. Couples spending their New Year's together. Kids clutching closely to their parent's hands, wearing those cute little New Year hats, glow-sticks in their hands. There was also this one guy I saw who was dressed up as a Stormtrooper, weirdly, from Star Wars. I had the urge to remind him that Halloween ended TWO months ago but I didn't.

Everyone was smiling in a great mood. And I and Annabeth were as well.

As Annabeth guided me towards a little area near M&M's world, a large, tall security person stopped us. He had an earphone in his left ear. He looked pretty official. The guard stared at the two of us.

"Um, sorry you kids. This is reserved for couples only. It looks better for television. Again, really sorry for that!"

"Oh, um, alright. That's..that's ok sir, we'll be going! Come on Annabeth, let's go.."

"No actually, this is my wonderful boyfriend here sir! Our first time in Times Square for the New Years!" Annabeth quickly interposed. I looked over at her, my eyes wide.

Annabeth continued "He's..he's just joking with you! That's typical Percy! Anyways, we're sorry for being a little late to the fun. Gods, the stupid subway was SO freaking delayed, let me tell you!"

I continued looking at Annabeth in shock.

 _Boyfriend. She called me her boyfriend._

"Oh, really?" the security man asked, his serious look fading. It changed into a big smile "Oh shoot, why didn't you say so! I understand that Miss? Ugh subway delays. Always every freaking New Years Eve! Between you two look great together, can I say?"

"Aww, thanks!" Annabeth said, giving the guy a cute little smile. My face reddened. I had no idea whether or not Annabeth was going along with the act or she seriously believed what the guy said.

 _Does Annabeth actually think we look cute together? Also.. why the hell does everyone keep saying we look great together!_

"Alright you two, have fun! Between, the ball's going to drop soon in 10. Don't be afraid to get all lovey." he said giving us a little wink as he let us enter the area.

As we found a spot in the front of the guard rails, I turned to Annabeth, my face still red.

"Um.."

"What?" Annabeth asked, looking over at me.

"It's just..you said..you said I was your..your boyfriend. And, um, like I'm..I'm not that," I stuttered, absolutely slurring my words.

"I just..that was..don't you want a good view, Percy?"

"Yeah but.."

"Don't..don't complain about my methods Seaweed Brain! It..it worked! And now we get an awesome view of the ball drop! You're welcome by the way." Annabeth quickly told me. However, it looked like her face was a little red as well, though it was hard to tell in the dark.

For the rest of the while, we stood around, listening to the music that was playing on the loudspeakers. The song currently playign was _Ed Sheeran's- Shape of You,_ which people were dancing to. Annabeth took her phone out to take some pictures and selfies with me, enjoying herself.

I was having a good time as well. However, I kept looking nervously to the back at the security dude we talked to. I had no idea whether or not impersonating being a couple for New Year's was considered a misdemeanor. If that ended up on my record, that was a pretty hard thing to explain.

"Percy, why do you look so worried?" Annabeth asked, noticing my nervousness.

"Annabeth, we're like PRETENDING to be a couple and, you know, WE'RE NOT!"

"Percy! Who cares? Besides, they're not going to check around if we're a couple or not!"

"Yeah, but he said couples only. Isn't that like a minor offense or something lying about that?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Seaweed Brain! Just be quiet and stop worrying! Trust me! Enjoy the view and the last few moments of this year you have!"

"Annabeth but.." Out of nowhere, Annabeth grabbed me by my dress shirt and, putting her left hand on my face, proceeded to give me a big kiss on my cheeks.

I was absolutely taken aback by her abrasiveness as Annabeth continuing kissing me. I was also aware of hordes of people around us, staring, smiling, probably thinking _Aww, that's so cute! She's kissing him!_ From a distance, the security guard was giving me a little thumbs up.

I started to redden even more.

Even more, Annabeth's lips were SO freaking close to mine, only about an inch or so away, as she kissed me. A little movement of my head and well...

Annabeth let her lips linger on me for a little longer. She was really extending this kiss.

 _Even worse I was liking it. A LOT. It looked like she was enjoying it as well...  
_

Eventually, after what felt like FOREVER, Annabeth broke it off.

"Um..alright. Alright, Seaweed Brain. Will..will you shut up now? No one will suspect us after that..that kiss!" Annabeth proclaimed.

"I...Um..Uh.."

"Ugh, boys," she muttered as she looked away. However, Annabeth began brushing her hair back, twirling it a bit. She was fiddling around with her necklace. I could now clearly see her face was red like mine. There was a little smile on Annabeth's face though she was trying to hide it.

* * *

 **Love  
**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

Boys are so freaking weird.

I..I kissed Percy on his cheeks to make him shut up and stop worrying about the _we're not a couple_ problem. I mean I kissed him, on the cheeks mind you, before. But, Percy gets red and starts stuttering when I do it now.

 _Maybe because it was in public. Like, who..who cares man! We're..we're not together Seaweed Brain. Like we're not..ugh._

I mean, the kiss was nice. Percy's face was really soft. Warm. His little dimples were pretty cute as well. I felt myself tingle as I kissed him. I was reminded of how I felt when I kissed Percy after Thanksgiving Dinner.

 _Giddyish._

It was an enjoyable experience, admittedly. Okayish.

 _No good. Really REALLY good.  
_

Also, it was funny to see Percy act weird. I was amused. _Lol, maybe I should kiss him more often._

Um, that..that came out wrong.

It was now around 5 minutes until the ball drop. The anticipation in the crowd was unreal; they were ready to explode at any moment, just waiting for the New Year's countdown to start. I looked over at Percy, who was taking in the whole scenery, smiling the entire time. I started smiling as well. I started to think back to our conversation we had on our favorite moments of the year.

 _Every moment with Percy is my favorite, as corny as that sounds._

I then got close to Percy and laid my head on him again. There was honestly no other person I would want to spend the last moments of the year with than Percy. He was, that special person.

 _And now was a special moment._

I then heard a buzz from my phone. I got off of Percy for bit and took a look at it. My face soured as I saw who it was from.

It was my boyfriend.

 _Luke: Annabeth! Where are you? You just leave my party to go to Times Square? What!_

I felt myself get angered as I typed out my response.

 _Me: Luke! I already told you I was going to leave! I TOLD YOU! It's not my fault you didn't hear me!_

 _Luke: I didn't hear it Annabeth! What the hell am I supposed to do?  
_

 _Me: Gods, you always act like this Luke! You never listen to what I say!_

 _Luke: Because you always do this type of shit Annabeth!  
_

I shut my phone off and put it back in my pocket, my mood absolutely down.

 _Oh great, another moment ruined with Percy, again._

The entire time, Percy was looking at me, concern on his face, as I was on my phone.

"Annabeth, is everything ok?" he asked.

I let out a frustrated moan. "Gods, freaking Luke! FREAKING LUKE! He..he always does this Percy! He never listens to what I say to him. EVER.! Then, when things go wrong, he has the AUDACITY to go and blame me. First the party. Now, this!"

"Annabeth, don't get down!" he interrupted, putting his hand on me. "The new years is coming up! You don't want to start it off on a negative note, do you?"

"Well, too late for that I guess! Freaking Luke.."

"Annabeth, please.."

"I just..I can't deal with him any...!" All of a sudden, Percy pulled me close to him in an embrace. He reached down and gave me a soft kiss on my nose.

I stood there, stunned, similar to Percy when I kissed him, as he kissed me on my nose. His kiss was really soft and cute. The way he allowed his lips to naturally linger on my nose. The way he continued to look at me, his sea-green eyes so warm and open. My sour mood started to fade. My frown, gone. I started smiling, widely. I began feeling really REALLY happy. I think I might have been sighing. I closed my eyes as Percy continued to kiss my nose.

"Annabeth.." Percy softly began, looking me straight in the eyes and grabbing my hands. "Don't let something dumb ruin an awesome moment between us, okay? Let's not let it happen again, please. Just forget about it and enjoy the moment together. You and me Wise Girl. The final moments of the year. Okay?"

I took in Percy's words. I gave Percy's hand a squeeze. "Okay Percy," Percy slowly grabbed me and allowed me to rest on his chest, similar to during the concert, which I gladly did.

It was now around a minute till the new year. The crowd was on their feet, just waiting for the inevitable. It was now 30 seconds. 15 seconds.

Then 10 seconds.

Percy and I started to countdown together.

 _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5..._

I looked up at Percy. His face was bright, full of joy. It was such a beautiful sight. His lovely sea-green eyes were focused squarely on the Times Square Ball. He had that usual sarcastic Percy grin to him as he counted down.

Man, I used to hate that smile so much the first time I met him. _Still, do at times.  
_

Yet it looked amazing now.

So many thoughts flooded through my head as I stared at Percy. All the moments I shared with Percy throughout the year. Throughout high school.

 _Throughout our whole friendship._

I began to think back to when I admitted that I had a little crush on Percy when I was young. I had it played it off as a silly little crush, nothing big.

 _And, it was!_

I had said that I may have had a little crush on Percy still. It was just, I liked so many things about him. His sweetness. Kindness. Care. Worry for me. Companionship. I loved spending time with Percy. I felt sad whenever he was away. I worried too much when something little hurt him.

 _You said you would change Annabeth! You would be more honest!_ my mind began telling me.

Crush was not enough to describe these feelings I had for Percy. As I thought back to the kiss Percy gave me on the nose, crush just didn't seem to explain my deep feelings I had for him. Feelings I've felt since .. since the start of junior year.

 _Even longer than that._

It was more like..love. A deep love for him. _  
_

Oh gods. I think I'm falling in love with Percy.

Like, real love.

 _Again._

* * *

 **(3rd POV)**

The clock hit 1 past 12. The New Year finally occurred. Everyone was cheering, celebrating, confetti flying in the air.

However, Octavian did not care about that at all. He was walking towards the Times Square station, swiping through his photo gallery, a smile slowly forming on his face.

Octavian had made it ABSOLUTELY certain he wasn't spotted as he followed around Percy and Annabeth towards Times Square. It was quite hard. The two had a knack to..improvise where they were going. They had a carefree, unconcerned attitude to them when they were with one another.

Following Percy and Annabeth was admittedly REALLY creepy, but Octavian didn't care. As long as Drew liked it, that's all that mattered.

Octavian had gotten many photos. The two holding hands. The smiles on their faces. Annabeth lying on Percy's back.

However, there was one perfect photo in particular. A shot of Percy giving Annabeth a kiss on her nose. It had everything. The kiss. The big smiles. The happy expressions on their faces, especially Annabeth, who face was in full jubilation and bliss.

Octavian smiled as he texted the photo to Drew, crossing his fingers, praying to the gods.

 _Hope Drew likes this! Maybe now I can start hanging out with her and her friends. Part of my strategy to eventually climb the CHB social hierarchy and be on the very top._

A ding came from his phone. Octavian looked at the message.

Drew: _Wow, thanks, Octavian! This..this is great! You're so awesome! You know what, you should come hang with me later (smile and wink emoji)  
_

Octavian than pumped his fists in the air, grinning. _Yes! I achieved cool status with Drew!_

Pathetic, yes, to cheer being considered "cool" by someone but Octavian WAS a pathetic person. And looking for attention.

As Drew looked at the photo message sent to her, a big smile appeared on her face.

 _Oh, she's SO DONE! Luke is all mine now..._

When Annabeth told Luke she was about to head out, Drew had made it ABSOLUTELY certain she would have eyes on her and Percy the whole time, unlike before at the museum. Octavian was the perfect candidate to carry out Drew's dirty work; he was gullible, craving acceptance, and generally a little..pathetic.

The photo on her phone, she then looked up at Luke, who still looked peeved by the fact that he didn't realize his girlfriend had left. For a split second, Drew considered showing the photo to Luke immediately.

However, she thought better of it. _Don't make the same mistakes like before!_ Drew decided she would wait this time. As hard as that was, she would wait for the perfect opportunity to show that photo. Drew would allow the smart girl the opportunity to expose herself. To let her take the pitfall. The photo was just a nail in the coffin.

The coffin to the end of Annabeth and Luke's relationship.

* * *

 **Hey, I know, cliffhanger ending, admittedly. Sorry. I did say though things will heat up though.  
**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'm so tired now lol as I upload. I was working on this for SO long. Also, forgive me if you feel the structure of the story is a little weird plot-wise; I was experimenting with different structures and plot lines. That took a long time.  
**

 **However, so much stuff has happened! I don't know where to start... First, Rachel's attitude change on Annabeth and Percy. She's starting to realize how close the two are. How much they love each other. She's accepting of it though. Like in the book, even though Rachel likes Percy, she understands Annabeth and Percy have deeper feelings for each other.  
**

 **Also, BIG BIG THING that I HAVE to mention. Annabeth finally admitting she's falling love with Percy! I think that was kind of LONG over-due. She's gaining more confidence, emotionally, stating she will start to be more honest about her feelings.**

 **Of course, will that lead her to Percy? You'll have to find out.**

 **Anyways, have a great day! And leave a review if you can! Me likey reviews ;)**


	13. Chapter 13- Rumors

**Hey what's up ya'll?**

 **This is going to be a VERY big chapter in terms of plot. So buckle up folks.**

* * *

 **All review responses:**

 **heartbooks1 : Thank you so much!**

 **green vines: Super stoked the story made your week! That's great. Good luck on that cello test as well by the way!**

 **Also, sorry for that random author notice that I put in the middle. They** were just comments **/thoughts I had when writing the scene. I REALLY should rename it _author's comments_ or something to avoid confusion. Glad you didn't end up freaking out and throwing your phone across the room lol. I would've had dirt on my hands =).**

 **amazingawesomeness: Glad you enjoyed the story!**

 **greekdemigodwannabe :I'm not going to spoil too much of the upcoming plot but I can say there will be some..surprises soon. So stayed tuned!**

 **Also, you're not a bad person for wanting Luke and Annabeth to breakup** **lol. You're just passionate about Percabeth. And that's great :D**

 **Anyways, like I said before, there will be some surprises coming up the upcoming chapters. So stay tuned as well!**

 **Percabeth824: Wow! Your words are so freaking awesome. Thanks so much! Your comments always put** **a smile on my face =)**

 **I also wanted to say I've also** also **read some of the stories that you wrote as well (Hey, I'm not a creep like Octavian!) I was just interested in what my followers liked to read and if they happened to also write fanfic.**

 **Your 100 Days of Summer was really awesome and cute! It was such an interesting concept! I really especially liked that chapter when Annabeth Percy visits a cancer hospital full of little kids. That was really great! I had wanted to post a comment saying that I liked the story but I felt like I was SO late to the party considering it was published a few months ago.**

 **So yeah thanks so much for the comment! I always look forward to them each time I upload a chapter =)**

 ** _greasysnivellus:_ _Really appreciate those words! And you should stop being self-deprecating about yourself dude/dudette! You're awesome!_**

 ** _Fyre : Hey, No need to apologize! In fact, I think I should be the one apologizing! I've read all your comments on the previous chapters and never actually got to say thank you! So sorry for that! But, they're all awesome/amazing and I'm really happy that you're sticking with the story even with school and a personal life to deal with it. You're the freaking best!_**

 ** _I'm also inquiring more on beta-readers to use for this story. Hopefully, that works out._**

 ** _Olivia : Thanks so much, not only for this comment but for the previous comments! Sorry, again, for not responding to them earlier but you're awesome!_**

 ** _I'm also really glad that this story makes and brightens your day!_**

 **If your comment wasn't listed, I've most likely responded to it in the previous chapter, Chapter 12.**

* * *

 **Between, I do sense that people are getting a little anxious about when Percy and Annabeth will get together. That's fine of course. I'm anxious too, especially with all the awesome moments these two shares.**

 **They will get together, duh! You have every right to strap me on a wooden pole and force me to listen to the Siren's songs if they don't. However, when I first made and started the story, it was never about IF Percabeth will get together but HOW. That's my goal; to explore what brings them together. I go through various themes throughout the story; coming to terms with one's emotions, what love is.**

 **So, again, sorry! But, when they finally get together, all the development you've read will be worthwhile!**

 **(Apologies again for grammar or sentence structure errors if any. I installed Grammarly, a grammar check software, recently but it can only do so much)**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Rumors**

 ** _(Luke POV)_**

 ** _Renewed Suspicions_**

"Luke, gods, like I freaking said SO many times already, I warned you! I told you STRAIGHT UP before I left that I was going to go to Times Square with Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed looking at me in frustration.

We were at my house on Saturday, the weekend before Christmas break ended. Annabeth had come over to ask if I wanted to go to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree before it came down.

I didn't have anything planned so I said yes. _Also, part of being a good boyfriend, right?_ However, as we were about to leave, I again brought up the issue of Annabeth's abrupt departure from my New Year's party to her utter disappointment and annoyance; we had been arguing about it for the past few days.

 _Not_ _exactly the way you want to start a fresh new year, arguing with your girlfriend._

However, I was pretty angry still. Annabeth had just randomly decided to leave my party in the middle!

 _With Percy. And only him._

And I WANTED answers this time!

"Annabeth I didn't hear you!" I exclaimed.

"That's not an excuse! The point is I warned you! If your freaking head wasn't completely focused on that stupid poker game Luke maybe you'd be able to listen to me for once!"

"Hey, the Stoll Brothers were ripping me off left and right babe! Second, that's not even what I'm angry about Annabeth. You just HAPPEN to randomly leave my New Year's party with Percy? What's up with that!"

"I just..I wanted to go to Times Square to see the ball drop Luke! It was New Years. You GOTTA understand!"

"Yeah, but in the middle? With Percy only!"

"Luke, Percy and I have always wanted to experience New Years at Times Square together ever since we were 12! We had planned it all and...it just seemed like the thing to do in the spur of the moment!"

I gave a little scoff at what my girlfriend was telling me.

 _Spur of the moment. What the hell does THAT mean?_

"Look, nothing happened okay? Nothi...we just had fun! Enjoyed ourselves. That's IT!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you did," I muttered under my breath, which got Annabeth to glare at me.

"You know Annabeth, sometimes I don't know what's up with you! NO other person would skip a banging New Year's party with their friends, even if it was to go to Times Square! We had everything there. Snacks, awesome music, karaoke. I even ordered extra olive only pizza for you, babe! You know, I could've freaking ordered more pepperoni for crying out loud.."

"Luke! My goodness! Has it EVER occurred to you that MAYBE, just maybe, I'm not into that shit?" Annabeth then interjected, turning to me. She had been pacing around the entire time while I just sat on the couch. However, she came really close and looked straight at me, some intensity in her gray eyes.

Annabeth continued. "I don't care about parties! I don't care about whether you had karaoke or some other shit! I wanted to spend my New Years with those who are close to me Luke. That..that mean a lot. To just..you know, hangout! Talk. Reflect. I didn't want to waste my final moments of my New Years in a stupid party! I would always forever regret that I didn't spend it with those who are..are special to me."

At the end of Annabeth's speech tirade, I looked over at her for a while with some wide and skeptical eyes. I rarely, if ever, heard my girlfriend be THAT honest with me. Whenever we talked, it was either about our friends, social life, how awesome my Red Sox are (she still refuses to admit that).

Rarely we talked about how we..felt.

I didn't want to do that. That was just..no.

 _Spend time with those that are special to me._ _Annabeth..Annabeth considers Percy special to her?_ The boyfriend part of me began to get outraged and jealous.

"So Percy's more special to you than me Annabeth, huh?" I then asked. I gave a little scowl. "Hmm, well I'm glad you're honest about that! Thank you very much!" I said as I got up from the couch, about to grab something to drink to clear my head.

"Oh for crying out loud Luke!" Annabeth exclaimed, coming to me and grabbing my hand. "Percy has been my best friend ever since 7th grade. Of course, he's going to be special to me! You know that well enough! Gods, Luke, are..are you suggesting that we have a thing going on? Remember the last time you made that claim!" she yelled at me, harkening back to Fright Fest.

"Well, maybe I was wrong to assume everything was fine," I said matter-of-factly.

"Luke, gods I'm your girlfriend! I'm your freaking girlfriend! I love..I'M YOUR GIRLFRIEND SHEESH!" she continued. Annabeth then got really close to me.

"Luke, please, I don't want to break up with you. I don't. I can't go through that..experience," she said, her voice getting down and soft. Seeing Annabeth that way made my anger subside a bit. I was well aware that I was Annabeth's first ever boyfriend. She tried her best to be a good girlfriend, which was nice. Being through many countless personal break-ups, I understood the fear she harbored.

"Hey, I don't want to break up with you babe," I told her, grabbing Annabeth's hand. _At least if I don't have a reason._ I then gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Look, you told me already in the party that you were going. I didn't hear you. That's my fault. You..you say that nothing happened and I believe you,"

Annabeth gave a little smile. "Ok, then Luke. Let's..let's just forget this happened, ok?" she said, returning my kiss.

"Alright let's go see that Christmas tree!" Annabeth declared, her expression brightening, heading out the door.

I was about to grab my jacket, going to go out as well. However, something still bothered me.

 _She went with Percy and Percy only._

"Annabeth, can..can I ask you something? And please be honest. Why..why did you decide to go with Percy alone? I know you're both good friends but it .. it seems like you enjoy doing everything with him. You enjoy..being with him. Why?'

Annabeth stopped at the door. She slowly turned back to me. There was a look of hesitance on her face, uneasiness. Her eyes refused to meet mine.

Eventually, Annabeth then spoke, though in a very low tone. "I .. I like being with Percy. He's nice. Sweet. Really caring. Like's spending time with me. Percy's been like that ever since we were 12. I..I really like that about him," she said. Annabeth was fiddling a bit with her necklace. Her face might've gotten a little red when she mentioned Percy but maybe it was just me.

"Really?"

"I..I had actually wanted to go with Percy to see the Christmas tree. He was busy though," she continued, her tone getting down a bit.

However, Annabeth added, "But the point is I'm going with you! So that's..that's okay. Come on!" Annabeth finally said, giving me a little smile as she went out.

For a while I just stood at the doorway, replaying our whole argument.

 _Nothing is going on Luke! Nothing!_

Did I trust my girlfriend? I had no reason NOT to. Annabeth has always been truthful to me. Plus, though we had our arguments, we were still a couple.

However, one thing Annabeth told me kept standing out as I replayed it over and over in my mind.

 _Percy is special to me._

Was it normal to say that certain friends were special to you? I guess. I mean, I had a lot of friends who I would consider special like my football teammate Charles.

However, the way Annabeth looked as she spoke of Percy, the hesitance, the redness on her face, the positive, flowery manner that she described him. She even wanted to go see the tree with Percy instead of me initially!

 _What the hell!_

I couldn't help but think that this _special_ label went beyond just a friendship.

Before I had suspicions about the two. _Still, do._ But I never really looked or put much thought into it.

Now, I wanted proof that Annabeth was being honest. That NOTHING was going on.

 _That they were just friends._

Of course, how to go about that, I had no idea. I'm not exactly the greatest with this love shit.

 _Damn, who do I know is good with love/gossipy stuff?_

* * *

 ** _Head over Heels_**

 ** _(Percy POV)_**

I came home from New Year's pretty late. Exiting Times Square was a nightmare as we got caught up in the masses trying to depart. The subway back was SO crowded as well. I think there might have been one or two drunk guys on our train, which was definitely NOT good.

However, neither Annabeth nor I cared. We felt great. Elated.

Just..wow.

Annabeth ended up sleeping over at my place for the night. Of course, I had NO qualms whatsoever about it. _Why would I? She's freaking amazing as hell Annabeth!_ Arriving at my apartment, we were SO tired. Yet, we didn't sleep at all. We spent the rest of the night talking, laughing, playing some music on our phones. It was around 4 am when my mom finally came out, to her annoyance, to stop the two of us.

"Alright then, good night or should I say good morning Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told me, giving me a smile.

"And a good morning to you to Wise Girl. Seriously Annabeth, if you want to sleep on my bed, I have no problem with it!"

"Percy, you're too sweet. I'll just sleep on the couch, thanks. Besides, your room is still a complete disaster," she responded, smirking.

I gave a frown. "You know I AM going to start being more organized thank you very much! Consider it part of my New Year's resolutions their girl!"

Annabeth laughed, which made my heart beat rapidly.

"I'll be the judge of that. Alright, sweet dreams my Seaweed Brain." giving me a lovely smile.

"And sweet dreams my Wise Girl." giving her a grin.

I then headed back to my room, about to sleep as well. However, before I entered, I stood outside my door looking on at Annabeth, who was curled up and sound asleep. Her blond hair was now in a tangled, pretty mess around her. She was snoring, thought it was soft and pleasant. The whole time Annabeth had a smile on her face that never faded, the nightlight from the window emphasizing and shining on her in a wonderful, breath-taking manner.

I started to sigh in awe.

 _Gods, she's so freaking beautiful..._

I began to replay the events of the whole night. Annabeth looked so vibrant and full of life. Excited. Calm and laidback. So..amazing. The entire time, I had an OVERWHELMING, terrible urge to kiss her, full on the lips. I wanted to SO freaking badly.

 _I needed to as well._

I did kiss her, albeit on the nose. However, I enjoyed and savored it; Annabeth's nose was REALLY cute and she looked pretty happy as I kissed her.

Shoot, what am I saying? Every part of this girl is cute! _Hot! Freaking beautiful!_ The way her hair falls perfectly without Annabeth trying. The way her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining. No matter how many times I try complimenting Annabeth, she freaking doesn't believe me.

 _Crap, I just..I just said that Bruno Mars song._

 **(A/N: A little shoutout to Percabeth824. She used _Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are_ in one of her stories. So I'm semi-stealing your idea. Mwahaha! _Clearing throat._ Um, sorry, lol)**

But it was true! Annabeth was perfect the way she was. And I was in love with her. _Even MORE so than before._ Like head over heels.

Wow.

How can that be possible? To be MORE in love with this girl? To have stronger feelings for Annabeth than I felt before?

But it was true. I was falling for Annabeth. _And hard._

Of course, did that mean I would finally tell Annabeth my true feelings? I didn't know. I never revealed my true feelings for her before, always content that our friendship was enough.

Always scared to make a move.

 _And be honest with her._

What difference would a new year make?

 _Well, you did say to her you would be more honest_ my conscious began saying.

Yeah, but that was only talk, right? Just silly resolutions. No one ACTUALLY ever keeps them.

* * *

 ** _(Annabeth POV)_**

I love every moment with Percy.

First the concert. Than karaoke. Finally, New Years.

 _Not to mention our whole entire friendship._

The whole night I couldn't stop smiling and laughing as Percy was beside me, the both of us enjoying the festive Times Square atmosphere. I could still remember how warm and tactile Percy felt when I laid my body on his chest, the wonderful ocean smell he emitted, the beautiful Percy grin he would give me every now and then as I stared up at him.

I also liked it when I gave Percy a surprise kiss on the cheeks; his flustered, cute look was really funny to see. And I LOVED it when Percy kissed me on my nose. It was so sudden. So out of left field. But, it was amazing. Percy's lovely lips were so gentle and kind. He let them linger on me for a while; I was sighing the whole time (between I should stop doing that), feeling giddy, smiling.

Just, wow.

That New Year's I ended up sleeping over at Percy's place, which was more than fine with me. In fact, it was what I wanted. We played music, talked, goofed around. I was tired, admittedly but I didn't care.

"Sweet dreams my Seaweed Brain," I then said grinning at him as I was about to head to sleep.

"And sweet dreams my Wise Girl," he told me, giving me that Percy smile that made my heart beat rapidly. He then left to go to his room.

I just lied down on the couch for a while, a look of pure content on my face. I..I haven't felt this happy for so long. So relaxed. At ease.

 _I..I haven't felt this..strongly for someone in..so long._

I think I'm falling in love with him. No, I AM in love with Percy.

No! I ..I wasn't in love with Percy! I..I couldn't be! We were just friends, that's it!

 _I..we weren't ready to take that..next step._

We were friends. And that's fine. I'm cool with that! Percy's still my awesome, best friend and that won't change.

 _Also, he happens to be very attractive. Really really_ _cute. Super handsome. Um, kinda..kinda sexy.._

Hey, stop it Annabeth!

Unfortunately, our magical moment wasn't completely magical. Luke had interrupted and texted me in the middle, just as the ball was about to drop. He was furious, wanting to know my whereabouts.

I was so livid. I had already WARNED him, twice, that I would be leaving! Yet, Luke didn't listen!

UGH!

If..if Percy hadn't kissed me right then and there, I would've been miserable the moment before the start of New Year.

Um, I didn't mean.. man so many things I'm saying now are coming out wrong.

The days following Luke and I continued arguing. I kept repeating over and over the same line of argument, to no avail. Further, Luke began accusing and saying, yet again, that Percy and I had a thing going on!

N..nothing was going on! What is Luke talking about? Just because I..I might or might not have a love interest for Percy didn't mean it amounted to something.

I wasn't going to act on it! _. I..I didn't want to._

Further, with the recent fights between the two of us, I found myself in a constant state of frustration when around Luke. I became more and more eager to be away from him, which was weird. I kept wishing that Luke would act differently, that he would change his behavior.

I wanted to tell him that. To tell Luke to stop acting, well, like Luke.

 _And more Percy-esque._

Man, if Luke could be more like Percy, sweet and caring, that would be awesome.

The first Monday back from break, my mind still on my prolonged arguments with Luke as I headed to school. As I walked in, I noticed that all the kids were gathered outside along the sidewalk, which was odd.

 _Is there a fire drill or something? First time ever they did something like this._

"Hey, over here Miss Princess!" I turned to see Piper coming after me, with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Piper! Happy actual new year. And please stop with that nickname gods!"

"Um..no! Sorry, Annabeth. I like it too much," she said, grinning.

I gave a sigh. "You're still you Piper even after the new year. Between, why is everyone outside now?"

"Oh, it's Dionysus."

I raised my eyebrows. "Whoa, really? Did..did he get into a fight with someone or something?"

"No, Dionysus decided to call it quits this morning. Guess he thought that since it was a new year, he finally wanted to go and pursue some other passion, though I think that involves _extreme laziness,_ " Piper joked.

I laughed. "Or Diet Cokes. Well, good riddance! Gods, he was so bad in ancient Greek. Why did the school even hire him in the first place?"

Piper shrugged. "Beats me. I think this was some sort of punishment for Dionysus, a way for him to get "in touch" with the kids. Anyways, Mr. Chiron is currently berating Dionysus openly in the hallway, calling him some..specific names. Since they don't want us to see their exchange, it's probably REALLY bad,"

"Man, I would pay some good money to see that," I commented eliciting a laugh from the both of us. I was about to go with Piper to see our other friends when all of a sudden, I saw Percy enter the school ground.

As usual, I started feeling happy at the sight of him. My mood began to elate. Those awesome vibes began to set in.

However, there was a new feeling I felt. One I never felt before when seeing Percy.

 _In quite a while._

Nervousness. Shyness.

 _Like what a girl feels when she's crushing on a guy._

I began to clutch my English textbook tighter. I started brushing my hair back in short, quick spurts. I had an apprehensive smile. My gray eyes were dead-focused on nothing else but Percy as he walked, just observing his gracious movements. Like the way he went around with such calmness and ease, like a ship out in the Pacific. The awesome grin that would appear on his face every now and then. The mischievous twinkle present in his sea-green eyes.

I was hoping that Percy saw me. Yet at the same time, I wished Percy DIDN'T see me.

 _Oh gods, did..did Percy see me? What do I do? Is there a thing to do? Wait, why am I worrying what I should do?_

Percy then turned towards my direction. When he noticed the both of us, he gave a big smile.

I felt like melting when I saw that smile. It was so inviting and comforting. Happy memories began to play in my head.

 _Gosh his smile is amazing. I would pay a million drachmas for that._

"Hey, Piper! And of course _Annabeth_ ," he said coming over to us, putting some emphasis on my name.

I started to giggle and redden. _He said my name! Percy said my..of course he said my name. We're friends Annabeth. Duh._

"Um, h..hey y..you," I started to stutter, giving a shy smile.

"How's my awesome Wise Girl? Man I had a great time that New Years! " he said. He then went over to give me a hug. My body began to burst with excitement at his embrace. I was overwhelmed with Percy's intoxicating smell of sea. I might have been hyperventilating a bit.

"So, how was your break?" he asked after the amazing hug.

"Um, I'm..I'm like...good!" I told him while laughing, feeling the after-effects of the hug still.

Percy gave a chuckle. "Haha, very funny. I asked how your break was Annabeth!"

"Oh. Oh yeah um.." I said, shaking my head, feeling like an idiot. _Why am I acting so weird?_

"It..it was like, you know, a break and stuff. So it was..a break,"

Percy laughed again. "Man you're being weird this morning Annabeth,"

"Weird?" I asked in a big, incredulous high-pitched voice. "What! Huh? What you TALKING about? Annabeth isn't weird. I'm like..the OPPOSITE of weird dude!"

 _Dude. I never say the word dude._

Percy studied me for a while. He then gave a grin. "Gods, you can act so weird sometimes Annabeth. I like that. Is this is a new thing you're doing for the new year?"

"Well, do you want me to act this way Seaweed Brain?" I asked teasingly, my eyes burrowed.

"Just act like Annabeth Annabeth and I'll be more than fine," he said smiling. I smiled as well. I could've stayed that way forever in all honesty. Percy's smile was AMAZING.

Eventually, his eyes widened as he started to remember something. "Oh shoot! I should go and find Grover now. He was wondering where the hell I was at the end of the New Years party."

I started feeling down, REALLY down, as he said that. However, he then gave a little grin.

"Alright, see you later Annabeth?" he said

"Yeah, catch..catch you later man!" I quickly said, giving a little wave as Percy went off. I continued to look on at him until Percy was out of my sights.

Piper kept staring at me the entire time I was talking with Percy, a look of confusion present. Eventually, she asked.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE REAL ANNABETH, HUH?"

"What?" I asked, looking over at Piper, who had a serious look on her face.

"The real Annabeth never sounds tongue-tied! I also know she doesn't giggle or stutter at every other word in a sentence,"

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That is a mischaracterization of my whole interaction with Percy! I did not exhibit those qualities!"

Piper serious look then subsided as I said that. "Oh, thank goodness you're back Miss Princess!" Piper exclaimed. "Gods, you know, you were acting so weird! Almost like a little girl with a crush," Piper noted. Her eyes then widened. She started grinning.

"Mmm, of course.." she then started, her grin enlarging.

I moaned. "Piper! What..what are you suggesting?"

"Nothing. Just pointing out what I observed, that's all," she then said, giving a non-chalant shrug, though that annoying Piper grin was still present on her face.

"Oh my gods, let's just go in please," I then muttered to Piper.

Later on in Chemistry, I was working with the girls on our lab assignment, constructing lewis structure models of various elements.

"Man, that New Year's party was pretty awesome guys!" Hazel then exclaimed in the middle as we working.

"Yeah, I know! It was so much fun! Best I've been to in quite a while," Silena added.

"Now I know why they call Luke the party king in school," Piper joked, which got some laughs.

The entire time the girls continued to converse about the New Years party, memories of my final moments of last year began to play in my head. Everything was incredible; the overall energy I felt from Times Square. The jubilant looks across people's faces.

 _That..that nose kiss._

I started smiling at that last memory. Fuzzy feelings began taking over me ( _Huh, I never use the word fuzzy_...). More memories with Percy began to flood me; that concert, skating with him during Thanksgiving dinner.

I was smiling more and more.

"Annabeth, what..what are you smiling about?" Hazel then asked, interrupting my daydreaming.

"Huh?" I then asked out loud, just noticing what I was doing.

"What are you so happy about? No one's ever this happy in Chemistry! Even for a smart girl like you," she continued.

"I just..I was.." I began, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Hey, guys, cut Annabeth some slack would you? She's just in _love_ that's why!" Piper casually teased, putting emphasis on the word love, prompting wide eyes from Silena and Hazel.

"What?"

"Really?"

"Is it, you know..?" Silena began.

I glared at Piper. "Piper! Stop it! I'm not in love! I'm, not.."

"Oh come on! Don't deny it Annabeth! You're in LOVE with Percy! That explains your rather..giddy, pleasant behavior,"

"Girls I'm not .. whoa, ok what are you saying about my behavior? I'm not unpleasant!"

Piper than laughed and gave me a nudge before I could continue. "Annabeth, I'm joking of course. This is all in good friendly fun. Well, at least I'm semi-joking," Piper's expression suddenly turned serious She then looked at me, those kaleidoscope eyes focused and intent.

"Annabeth, I know you probably don't want to hear this again. But I think you ARE in love with Percy. You have been for a while. You just don't want to admit it," she softly said.

I looked around; Silena and Hazel were giving soft nods in agreement.

I moaned again. "Girls!"

"Annabeth it's true," Hazel noted.

"It is!" Silena then added, also coming close to me. "Annabeth, whenever I see you with Percy, you look so happy. Alive. Your..yourself. Why do you think you ditched that New Year's Party to go to Times Square with him? Who would do that?"

"Hey that was..I'm with Luke girls! If you haven't noticed, I'm still with him." I began.

"Ugh, I don't know why I go through the pains of giving you advice over and over Annabeth. You always use and say the same excuses!" Silena suddenly exclaimed, looking frustrated. "It's like you're scared! Afraid you have feelings for him!"

"I'm..I'm not.." I began. However, I started to tense up as Silena said that word.

Scared.

It was those feelings I felt when I didn't want to tell my dad how I felt about him. When I didn't want to tell Percy my feelings when he first canceled the concert.

 _Maybe..maybe she's right. I am scared. Scared that I'm in love with Percy. Afraid to take that next... step with him._

But why? Why..why did I feel this way?

I then looked up at the time on the clock. It was 10 minutes till class ended. I still had quite a bit of work to do for my lab.

"Girls, let's..let's finish," I finally said, sighing. "We have to hand our projects in by the end,"

The girls continued to look at me for a while, some sympathy in their eyes. However, they finally sighed as well and went back to doing their work.

 _The only thing I can think about now is Percy. It's like I'm head over heels for him._

* * *

 **Information**

 ** _(Luke POV)_**

"Hey, really honored that you decided to seek my help on this sweetie!"

"Drew, I'm not happy! It's just necessary, that's all! I really don't want to find out that my girlfriend is doing something behind my back. And, what's with the sweet talk?"

"Just trying to be nice honey! Don't like it?" she said giving me a very big smile. It was very pretty admittedly. I started to get distracted a bit.

 _Focus dude! Focus!_

"Drew, can you just help me please thanks!"

I was over at Drew's house, slumped on her couch, as she was babbling on and on in typical Drew fashion how good she was in breaking and exposing relationships. Normally, I try to avoid Drew's help on most things. It's not that she doesn't offer it nor do I not want it. It's just.. her area of expertise is limited, for a lack of better wording.

However, this was a relationship issue. And Drew was the only person I knew who was good at that stuff.

Especially gossip. _Very much good._

"Just try to find out from her friends whether or not Annabeth might have feelings for Percy or vice versa. Simple as that"

"Yeah but that's bo-ring! We can set them up. Just have Percy and Annabeth think they're going somewhere alone and boom! Catch them in the act! It's going to be SO much more fun!"

"Drew, first, I'm not looking for fun! And, second, what the hell? I'm not going to do that!" I exclaimed.

Drew frowned. "Why not Lukey?"

"That's the kind of shit they do in the movies! The stereotypical mean girls go plot against one girl and try to set and frame the others,"

"And? Your point? It works, doesn't it?"

"I..I don't like it Drew! It's .. it's too deceptive. I don't want to do that to Annabeth!"

"Luke, honey.." she slowly said, coming close to me. "Who cares if it's deceptive? If it happens to be that little Annabeth there is doing something behind your back, don't you want to know? Isn't it always going to peeve you a bit that your girlfriend might be lying? Possibly the whole time? You need to find out at all costs."

I sat there a while as I thought over her words, Drew looking at me softly, caressing my shoulders the entire time.

I didn't want to set up the two. That didn't seem cool. It wasn't worthy of a girl like Annabeth. She was too nice, innocent. Also, Percy seemed like a good guy. Kind of fucked up that he would be a victim of Drew's scheme if he happened to be innocent.

However, Drew's words kept playing over my head. _My g_ _irlfriend might be lying._ Though I hope it wasn't true, there was always a slight possibility she was.

 _The whole freaking time._

And that possibility made me angry.

I gave in.

"Okay. Let's..let's do it my way first Drew. Then, you're way if we find something. But, MINE first! Got it?"

"Ugh fine," she finally replied, realizing I wouldn't budge any further. However, Drew then gave me a little grin as she glanced at the clock.

"Hey Luke, if you're already here, why don't you stay for dinner? My dad is ordering some Chinese food. We could do something fun beforehand, right?"

"That.. that sounds good," I replied, which got Drew smile widely. _The gods know how badly I need fun._

"Let's go to my room and watch that White Sox game, huh?"

"It's Red Sox! And baseball season ended already! It's hockey season now. Penguins game is on if you're interested,"

"Ok, let's watch some penguins."

"It's THE Penguins. Not penguins."

"Why would they name a team after a cute animal?" she muttered as she showed me to her room.

Inside, Drew kept wanting to talk but I had one thing on my mind.

 _Annabeth and Percy._

Man, I sure hope nothing is happening between the two of them!

* * *

 **"Little"** **Gossip**

 ** _Silena POV)_**

"Alright Pipes. Ready to go?"

"Mhm! Can't wait to get some Chipotle afterward!"

I was at Piper's locker after school one day during mid-January. We had planned on going together to 5th avenue to do some window shopping (the very best kind if I can add cause its free). Hazel was out on a date with Frank while Annabeth had a club meeting to attend to after school.

The two of us were just preparing to leave when all of a sudden, a voice called out to us.

"Yo Silena. Piper! " We both turned around. Our smile quickly faded, replaced with a big frown as we saw Drew Tanaka rush over to us, flashing a grin.

 _Ugh, what gives? Drew never wants to talk to us._

"Hey," Piper flatly said, making her discontentment with Drew apparent as possible. It was an understatement to say that Piper did not like Drew. Drew had once tried to frame that Piper had cheated on Jason, to no avail of course. Piper was very lucky; so many other people were unfortunate victims of Drew's schemes.

Since then, Piper never forgave Drew for that.

"Sooo, what you girls do-ing?" Drew asked playfully.

"Alright let's cut the bullshit Drew, what the hell do you want?" Piper snapped at her.

"Hey. I just want to hang out with you. Is that a crime?"

"That's fucking horseshit and you KNOW it!" Piper yelled, her kaleidoscope eyes getting dangerously dark. "So just save your little act and tell us!"

"Oh come on Piper! You still angry about that..little thing in the past. Let bygones be bygones, right?"

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CHILL ABOUT ALMOST MAKING ME AND JASON BREAK-UP!" Piper exclaimed, getting extremely angry. "Gods, Drew you always treat love likes its a game! Like the end result is always heartbreak and break-ups. You NEVER consider the people or emotions involved! I fucking HATE that!"

Drew gave a casual shrug. "And, it's true. How many relationships do you know that last a lifetime? It's just what love is girl, I'm sorry," Drew then turned away from Piper to me.

"Come on girls! We're all half-sisters to one another if you haven't forgotten, right?"

Piper and I both moaned. It was true, Drew was, in fact, our half-sister, a fact I was never proud to flaunt. My friends always asked me how the hell Drew and I could have ANY sort of blood connection, considering our widely differing personalities.

I always wondered that myself.

"No, Pipes is right Drew! You've never wanted to speak or hang out with us before! Why is today different? You're just plotting something! Come on Pipes, let's go, " I told her as I grabbed Piper's hand and was about to head to the subway.

"Girls, look!" Drew replied. "I'm..I'm sorry about the way I acted before. I really am! I'm..I'm trying to change myself!"

"Drew, stop with this bullshit, please! Just STOP it! We're not falling for it!" I then exclaimed echoing Piper's sentiment.

"PLEASE I'M NOT LYING GIRLS!" Drew finally yelled. She then looked at us, her face one of remorse and guilt.

Piper and I looked at Drew skeptically. I almost scoffed and laughed.

 _Hmm, drama queen took acting lessons, huh?_

However, Drew then gave another deep breath and slowly continued.

"Look, I'm really ashamed about how I acted to you guys before in the past. I know I treated you all like shit. And you have the right to think that I'm just lying or plotting something. But I'm not lying girls! I'M NOT! Swear to the gods! I'm trying to change myself, especially since its a new year. Please just give me a chance if you can. Please,"

Piper and I continued to look on at Drew, my skepticism still high. However, as we kept observing her, Drew's face still had a look of remorse, engulfed with some sadness. Her body language was flat. Her eyes, usually dark and full of bitterness, were dark and full of..regret.

 _Drew..Drew looked genuinely apologetic. Ugh but it's just an act though!_

However, it was Piper who finally said something after a while. "Ugh, o..okay, Drew. I..I kind of believe you, at least PARTLY! Even though I'm still angry about what you did to me before, I..I think that everyone deserves second chances to change themselves,"

Drew's expression turned bright at Piper's words. "Oh..oh my gods! You..you serious?"

"I wish I wasn't being serious but yes,"

"Thank you so much, girls! Yes!" she exclaimed as Drew then went over to give the both of us a big hug, which Piper and I reluctantly accepted.

 _Alright, alright, don't need to overdo the hugging! Sheesh._

Afterwards, Drew asked. "So, what are you girls planning on going now?"

"Um, Fifth Avenue uptown. We wanted to check some stuff there, nothing big," I told Drew.

"Oh, really! Cool! You know, I know some GREAT shops their girls! Come on, I'll show you! Girls afternoon out! Woo-hoo!" Drew excitedly exclaimed as she grabbed both of our hands and guided us to the subway.

 _Were..were we about to go shopping with Drew? Yes, yes we were. I think the Fates might be vomiting now._

Exiting the station, Drew dragged us over to Armani, a fancy clothing outlet near Rockefeller Center.

I wasn't too into fancy clothing, especially Piper. Though she did the occasional shopping, Piper usually was content on wearing whatever the heck was in her drawer on any given day. She wasn't too into looks or fashion. I think she spent more time worrying about how Annabeth looked than herself in all honesty.

 _Piper looked good in everything. That's why the track jock Jason is dating her._

"Ok Pipes you look SO good in that!"

As Piper stepped out of the dressing room, my eyes widened. Piper was in an all black sleeveless crêpe dress that ran just above her knees. It was made of some nice polyester fabric with some really nice white design stitchings across the front and sides. The dress helped to show off her slim body, beautiful skin tone, and natural looks.

She looked good. But .. it wasn't Piper.

 _Also, it was around $200! And that was with a discount mind you._

"Um, I don't think.." Piper began.

"Come on! You look A-MA-ZING girl!" Drew happily said, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, I agree with Piper. It's too flashy Drew. Way too expensive as well to state the obvious," I noted.

"Ugh, you girls are SO freaking modest! Lighten up on yourselves, would you?" Drew exclaimed, giving me a hard nudge on the shoulder. I looked on with some annoyance and confusion.

 _What the hell was that for? Drew never nudges people._

"Hey, also, it'll look great for our upcoming Valentine's Day Dance, don't you think?"

"But that's not until like 3 weeks from now!" Piper exclaimed.

"Maybe. But never too late to prepare, right? Want to impress your Prince Jason?"

"Yeah but.."

"So, buy it!"

"Drew! It's 200! That's SO expensive.."

"Hey, you..you know what, I think I might have a gift card for this store Piper!" Drew exclaimed as she rummaged through her purse. Her eyes then lit up as she found what she was looking for.

It was a $200 Armani gift card.

 _Whoa, what the...?_

"Here!" she said as she handed Piper the gift card.

"No, I..I can't take that Drew!" Piper quickly responded, putting her hands up in a frenzy.

"Come on, take it!"

"I can't! That's..that's way too freaking much! I.."

"Just take it, Piper. Please. Consider this a friend to friend, half-sister to half-sister gesture. A sign that I'm trying to change." Drew finally said, giving Piper a little smile as she handed her the gift card. I looked on at Drew in disbelief as Piper continued to stare at the gift card as if it would disintegrate any second now.

"Wow Drew, that..that was really nice." _And v_ _ery un-Drew_ _like_. "You..you really are trying to change, huh?"

"Hey, I told you, girls! And I'm just trying my best!" Drew responded, shrugging her shoulders. I gave a big smile.

 _Hmm, maybe..maybe Drew has changed after all!_

Afterwards, the three of us went to nearby Chipotle for dinner. Piper and I both ordered the chicken burrito bowl while Drew decided to order one of their salads (between who goes to Chipotle to order their salads? Not judging but that's kinda weird).

"Oh, between girls, that New Year's Party was SO lit!" Drew began saying as we were eating.

I gave a big smile. "Yeah, it was. I had a lot of fun!"

"Same!" Piper chimed in. "I loved playing Just Dance. You know Hazel's got some moves there Silena! Better watch out next time," she joked as I gave a laugh.

Drew gave a little smile, though it looked a bit more forced than before. She then cleared her throat.

"Anyways, between Piper, you..you were really good at karaoke over there!"

Piper gave a blush. "Hey, you're being too nice Drew! I was just having fun with my boyfriend, that's all! Besides, I wasn't that great. It was Annabeth and Percy who stole the show!"

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yep. They were REALLY good,"

"Yeah, you know, now that I think of it, they WERE really good! Annabeth had..a nice voice. They also had a great connection going on, you know?" Drew then said, her voice rising.

I looked at Drew with wide eyes as she looked very interested in this subject.

 _What..what is Drew doing?_

However, Drew then quickly added. "Oh, I'm..I'm so sorry girls! I know that they're both your close friends. And, it's weird if I talk about them in this manner! I know they're just friends. It's just.. I can't help but comment that the two had a nice thing going on during karaoke that night!"

"Hey, that's..that's okay Drew!" I then responded. "It's true! The two had a very good connection going. Shame they only sang one song."

"Yeah, I really wanted them to sing _Don't Go Breaking My Heart_ by Elton John." Piper added.

"I know, right!" Drew then exclaimed, putting her hands up "I mean, I know this may sound weird but they look really good together. I..I never saw it before but after karaoke, it's more apparent now,"

"Um, yeah. But, they're..they're just good friends Drew,. Piper and I quickly said at the same time. We weren't sure where Drew was going with all this.

 _Why was Drew so interested in Percy and Annabeth..._

"Hey, again, sorry if that's inappropriate for me to say, girls! Just dumb old Drew me with these observations.." Drew suddenly said.

"No Drew, you're ..you're right!" Piper began, giving a big exhale. "Look, admittedly, I don't like match-making. And it shouldn't be our business what goes on between those two. But I can sense whether or not a relationship between people is strong. I feel it. And I've always felt that Percy and Annabeth had a very close relationship with one another. That they were great together,"

"Yeah, I feel that too, Pipes," I commented. "Always have."

Piper nodded and continued. "It's just, the care that I see between the two is incredible. For instance, this one time, Annabeth's dad was supposed to come over to visit on the weekend. However, at the last minute, he had to cancel due to some matter."

"Oh no!" Drew said out loud.

"I know! Don't say this to anyone though, please. The first time I heard that I was heartbroken for Annabeth. I just can't imagine the feelings she must've gone through knowing her dad randomly canceled a trip on her. That's..that's why she stayed home from school that Friday she was out; Annabeth was feeling really down."

"So Annabeth wasn't sick at all?" Drew asked, her eyes widening.

"Emotionally sick, as would anyone,"

"Still not sick though," Drew noted.

"Um, yeah," Piper said, looking up at Drew weirdly at her insistence at that point. However, she ignored it and continued.

"Anyways, I don't know why Annabeth didn't just tell us in the first place but that's Annabeth; she doesn't want to nuisance people with her problems and issues, And I've always hated that."

"Mmm,"

"But Percy was able to see through it. After school, he went over to her house to try to comfort her. Percy ended up taking Annabeth over to his place to make her feel better."

"Wow, really. Just the two?"

"Yeah. I was amazed by the level of care he displayed. But it's very telling about their relationship."

"It really is," Drew commented. There was a smile on her face.

 _That's good. She understands how much the two care for each other._

"But probably the sweetest thing he's done for Annabeth was that Thanksgiving surprise." I then commented.

"Oh yeah!" Piper exclaimed, smiling. "That was incredible."

"What..what are talking about Silena?" Drew asked.

"It's just, originally, Annabeth didn't invite her dad for the holiday. She still harbored..harsh feelings for him, which is understandable. However, at the last minute, Percy sent out an invitation to him asking that he should come over for Thanksgiving" I then told her.

"Yeah, I know!" Piper added. "I helped pick her dad from the airport! Such a history buff. The entire time I had a smile on my face, just happy for Annabeth that she got to see him.

"You..you know girls," Piper suddenly added, her voice getting down. She was now looking around the place in case someone overheard.

"I..I saw the two of them kiss."

"WHAT, REALLY?" Drew and I both exclaimed at the same time. My eyes got wide.

"Don't..don't tell girls! I HATE gossip and rumors. But I thought this was too cute NOT to share. It wasn't a kiss kiss. But at the end, Annabeth gave Percy a kiss on his cheeks, that's all. A friend to friend."

"Wow," Drew and I both exclaimed.

"But it was SO sweet. Really beautiful! I could tell how much..emotion Annabeth put into that kiss,"

I had a smile the whole time, feeling happy for Annabeth. Drew as well, exhibited the same reaction. There was a grin on her face, though weirdly, it looked more old Drew than new.

"Ugh, that's why this whole thing peeves me a lot!" Piper continued, sighing." I know the two have their own significant others now, which is fine, but I KNOW they have feelings for each other. I KNOW IT! They're just scared to admit them. And that absolutely sucks! It..it reminds me of myself before I dated Jason. How I was too scared to say that I loved him. Had feelings for him while he was dating this other girl. And I HATE seeing that between the two!"

Piper continued. "For me, real love is when one person is able to complete the other person's heart. To make them feel full. And that's what I see in Annabeth and Percy. It's just how I feel," Piper finally said.

I gave a big nod to everything Pipes said. I started to remember back to my conversation with Annabeth at chemistry class. How I had told her she had a thing for Percy yet kept denying it.

I was really frustrated, like so many other times before when talking to Annabeth about this. _Gods_ , _why does Annabeth keep refusing to admit this fact? It's just true! Annabeth's too smart NOT to recognize she has feelings for Percy! It's almost like.. like she doesn't WANT to have them in the first place.._

"Anyways, enough with this talk girls! I feel like Drew almost," Piper joked, giving a little fake-vomit.

"Yeah, that..that would be me with the..the gossip," Drew responded with a little grin, though it was more of a full-blown smile.

* * *

 ** _(Drew POV)_**

If there was a class in being skilled at getting love gossip, I would no doubt get an A. First, I would actually pay attention. Second, I am naturally gifted at it already.

As I headed over to Luke's place to tell him what I heard from the girls, a smile began to form on my face.

 _Man, Piper and Silena are so gullible. All it takes is fake remorse. Also, that gift card I got from my dad. Yeah, it was $200 blah, blah, blah. But I was never going to use it anyways! I ALREADY have nice clothes._

Was it wrong for me to deceive them and fake my whole _I've changed_ act? Let me put it this way; no, I don't care whether it was deceptive or not. Drew will do whatever Drew needs to do to get what she needs.

 _Breakup Luke and Annabeth._

And if it meant some minor embellishments, then so be it!

I told Luke all of what Piper and Silena told me, trying my best to make it sound as bad as possible. How Annabeth had faked her sickness the day she was absent and ended up sleeping over Percy's place. How Piper saw Annabeth kissing Percy on the cheeks during Thanksgiving. Luke looked on at me with a stunned look.

"ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME!" Luke finally exclaimed out loud, overcome with anger.

I gave Luke my best "sad look" pouting my eyes, frowning, though I was trying not to smile. _My plan is working to per-fection!_

"I wish it wasn't true Lukey. I really wish. But unfortunately, it is,"

"Gods! It went all the way back to the BEGINNING of junior year! THAT FAR? Annabeth fucking lied to me! She lied about being sick that day!"

"Mmm, she did. Annabeth did, Goodness, Annabeth, out of all the other girls? Wow.."

"That's why they went to the museum! It was a little fucking date, huh? And she kissed him! Fuck her! Fuck Annabeth! Out of all the things I've done for her, took her to Greece, buy her shit, this is what she does?"

"I know Luke. I could've gone with you to Greece now that I think of it, you know?"

"I can't believe it, man! I can't fucking believe it!" Luke moaned, his hands on the sides of his head while staring at the floor in frustration.

At that moment, I had thought of showing Luke the photo on my phone right then and there. However, I thought better of it. If Annabeth tried to deny this any further, I would just show him the photo. It would be the end of my case.

Let Annabeth hang herself some more.

"Ok Drew, I'm going with your plan. What's your plan?" Luke finally said, looking at me, in anticipation.

"Well, Annabeth and her friends are going bowling the final day of January I heard. So, let's expose her then!"

"Why wait that long? Fuck, let's just do it now! I can't stand being near her!"

"Luke, no! This is PERFECT! All her friends will be there. Hazel, Silena, Piper. _Percy._ Annabeth can't keep denying your claims if they're all in front of her!"

As Luke slowly began to take in my words, he nodded, understanding what I meant.

"Yeah, you're..you're right Drew! That's a great idea! You're..you're awesome Drew! I'm glad you could help me," he said as he gave me a high five.

I gave a big smile. "Hey, I'm your friend. I WANT to help you. I _care_ for you, Luke,"

 _And care for myself._

* * *

 **Confrontation**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

I was really excited to go bowling with my friends Wednesday night.

That was partly because I'm a REALLY good bowler. Now, I don't mean to be cocky (heck what am I saying I AM being cocky ) but bowling is definitely a strong suit of mine. I remember back in middle school the first time I went bowling with Percy. He was absolutely floored by how many strikes I got. Whenever we went with friends, I was always the first person he called on to be part of his team.

People ask how I got so good at bowling. I just tell them simple physics combined with the recognition of the oil patterns on the bowling lanes, essentially ensuring that I get a strike or close to a strike each turn.

Yeah, it sounds complicated but it's really not.

Anyways, it was also two weeks until the big Valentine's Day Dance at school, which I was also pretty excited for. This was my very first time going. I would be going with my boyfriend, friends.

 _Percy._

So I had much to look forward to the coming weeks.

That night, we went to a place called _Bowling Alley Arcade_ around Times Square. I went together with Luke. He had a weirdly flat expression on his face the entire time we were on the way, not saying anything.

I thought that was weird. Luke usually is excited to go bowling; he's pretty decent at it. But I didn't think much of it. Luke had been acting like this recently and its usually better if I let him continue to be sour rather than fix it.

Arriving, I already saw Piper, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Silena, Charles, Leo, and Calypso. Mostly the whole gang. Grover was about to come as well but he was going with his girlfriend to a "nature slam" event hosted by Pan, a hardcore environmentalist.

That was interesting, to say the least, to spend your Wednesday night but I'm not judging.

However, I then saw Drew Tanaka. My jaw dropped in absolute disbelief.

 _What the.._

I blinked my gray eyes repeatedly, hoping they were fooling me but of course, they weren't. Even more, Drew was laughing and chatting it up with Silena and Piper. Their expressions were so chill like _yeah, we're talking to annoying and conceited-as-hell Drew? No biggie!_

When Silena noticed me, she put her hands up and waved.

"Hey Annabeth, over here girl!" she exclaimed. "I'm by Drew!"

 _She could've just said I'm by stupid as well_...

"Um, hey Silena," I began as I headed over, continuing to stare at Drew the entire time. There was an open seat still. Unfortunately, it was next to Drew. I would have rathered been forced to hold the weight of the sky for a few minutes then sit next to her.

Silena, sensing my apprehension, acknowledged it.

"Annabeth, relax, Drew isn't going to do anything! I've begun to spend more time with her this year. She's trying to change her old behavior, right Drew?"

Drew gave a little nod. "Yeah Annabeth! I'm..I'm trying to change myself. I just..I wanted to be a better person. I regret what I did to you before," Drew told me, flashing a soft and pouty expression.

Initially, I rolled my eyes. _Gods, this is just an act_ I muttered to myself.

Yet, I couldn't help but think over her words. This year, I had the same ambitions like Drew. To change me. Avoid the same mistakes like before.

Granted, I didn't know if Drew was truthful or actually wanted to change but I had to give her some benefit of the doubt.

Plus there were no other seats.

"Alright," I finally responded, giving a forced smile as I sat down, very aware I was sitting only a few inches away from Drew.

 _New year new..experiences I guess?_

We chatted a bit the rest of the time, Drew being UNUSUALLY friendly and cheery with me. Luke was in the back by the drink area the entire time, looking on at the both of us, some bitterness still present on his face. I think I saw him make a subtle sign to Drew but she just brushed him off.

For the next few minutes, I was actually making some conversation with Drew without feeling the need to strangle her, which was a pretty great accomplishment. After a few more minutes, I then saw Rachel and Percy enter the place.

As usual, I started to smile widely at the sight of Percy. Again, those weird nerves began setting in. I started fiddling with my friendship necklace, a recent habit of mine when I'm nervous. I was twirling my blond hair. My gray eyes were dead-focused on Percy as he walked in and greeted all his friends.

"Hey what's up?" he asked flashing that awesome Percy grin to everyone.

"Hey, there he is!" the guys said as they went up to Percy and gave him some high fives and pats on the back. Luke, though, stayed where he was. His snarl grew fiercer as he observed Percy, eyes getting dangerously fiery.

I felt myself sigh. _My goodness, why is Luke acting so moody? Out of all the times..he does it now?_

I tried to ignore my boyfriend as I continued to look at Percy. Gosh, can I just say he looked REALLY good tonight? Percy had on his green CHB swim-team shirt and black sweat pants. His black hair swayed to one side and wet like he just took a swim.

 _That's pretty..hot._

His attire was simple. But I loved it. _Simple Percy is the BEST kind of Percy in my opinion._

Looking at him, I was wishing I was wearing something nicer than a pair of Levi jeans and my CHB High School shirt. I also wished I could've styled my hair in a much prettier way than a simple ponytail.

 _Funny that I care a lot about how I look now._

"Hey, Annabeth! Girls!" Rachel then said out loud as she went towards us. She gave all the girls hugs and then turned to me.

"Hey you!" she said giving a smile. "Happy new year."

"Hey, Rachel. Happy new year to you too," I said, giving a smile. I've been getting along with Rachel more recently, which was good.

"So, how are you?" I then asked her.

"Pretty good. Yourself?"

"Great. You ready to bowl?"

"Oh heck yeah!" I said grinning. Rachel laughed at my excitement.

"Man Percy told me you were a good bowler Annabeth. So I'd better watch my ass tonight, huh?"

"Oh, he..he did?" I asked reddening a bit. _Percy talks about me?_ However, I then cleared my throat.

"Well, I'm..I'm ALRIGHT Rachel. I'm..ok, that's just false! I'm REALLY good Rachel. Sorry if that sounds boastful."

Rachel laughed again. "Hey, if you're good, you're good. No need to apologize for that." We continued talking a bit for a while. I wanted to go over and talk to Percy when all of a sudden, Leo called all of us to the middle.

"Attention! Alright, guys, listen up," Leo announced.

"Welcome to the First Annual friends-going-bowling-because-we-feel-like-it-and-have-nothing-better-to-do-tonight event!" he started, putting on a sports announcer voice.

"Great name." Piper muttered.

"Shut up Pipes! Anyways, I hope you all play and compete to the best of your abilities! But remember, it's not about winning! It's about, having fun. THEN winning. I prefer winning but that's just me."

"Leo!" Jason then exclaimed. "This is not the Olympics man! We don't need an introductory speech!"

"Oh come on dude! I prepared this speech for a long time!"

"Hey let him continue Jason! It's kinda funny what he's doing." Calypso interposed, giving Leo a little smile.

Maybe it was just me or Leo started to blush at Calypso's comment. However, he tried shrugging it off.

"Um, yeah Calypso. Thanks..thanks a lot!" Leo responded giving a sheepish grin. "I..uh..anyways, we're going to create the teams now. They've been picked by me so you can guarantee fairness,"

"That is SUCH complete bs." Frank commented.

"Hey, I tried my best dude! Ok, we're going to have Me, Calypso, Luke, Silena, Frank, Annabeth and Charles, Piper, Drew, Hazel, Jason, Rachel, and Percy.

"Oh come on!" Percy suddenly groaned. He then came to the front of the group and looked at Leo. "You can NOT have Annabeth on your team man! You're just handing yourself the victory right there!"

"Whoa?" I asked out loud, staring at Percy. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on Wise Girl! Don't play dumb. You know as well as I do you kick ass in bowling!"

"I do NOT kick ass!"

"Ok. Kick butts. Or bowling pins. Whatever," Percy remarked. I rolled my eyes at his comment. I then started to smile.

"Oh, alright, I..I see what this is Seaweed Brain. You're just scared to face me, huh?" I asked as I crossed my arms and gave him a look.

"What!" Percy exclaimed, taken aback.

"You're scared, just admit it!" I continued.

"I'm not!"

"Well, why don't you want to go against me, huh?"

"Because you're better than me Annabeth! Duh."

"Or you're afraid you'll get DEMOLISHED." I said, giving a mischievous smile at Percy.

"Ok demolish is TOO strong a word their girl.".

"Mmm, I think Percy's scared guys, don't you think?" I teased, my voice assuming some playfulness. Around us, our friends started to snicker, all to Percy's expense.

Eventually, he shook his head. "You really want to go against me, huh?"

"Yeah! Of course, if you're UP to it,"

"You don't know WHAT you're getting into Wise Girl."

"Bring it Seaweed Brain." I then said as we went towards each other and had a stare down. We had little grins on our faces, though we tried to hide it. Throughout our banter, our friends were all smiling and cheering for us. The only person that didn't seem to enjoy it was Luke, who continued to have that same bitter look from before. He again looked at Drew, who shook her head. Her mouth began to form the words _not now._

"Alright. Let's go Annabeth. You know what? Guys vs girls. The classic! Okay?" Percy then told me.

"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Leo stated. "Guys versus girls! The all-time classic feud. I'll keep score since you guys think I'm trying to rig the line-ups, WHICH IS NOT TRUE!" he exclaimed as Loe sat down near the back. Calypso followed and sat next to him, to Leo's surprise. He didn't mind though. The two ended up chatting it up for the rest of the time.

 **(A/N: I don't bowl often so forgive me if I don't know the correct terms)**

The first two up were Jason and Piper. As Jason was about to grab a bowling ball, Piper went up to him.

"Hey, Jason! Woo-hoo! Your pretty girlfriend here! If you knock down ANY one of those pins at all, don't expect a kiss from me!"

Jason gave his girlfriend a stare. "Is that extortion Piper?"

"No. Just extra encouragement. Come on! Think about it. Knocking down some stupid pins? Or an awesome, beautiful, AMAZING kiss from me, huh?" she asked, forcing her eyes to change colors, her face in a cute pout. Piper made sure her hair was showing in a very pretty manner. Piper also used some charmspeak in her voice. It definitely had some sort of effect on Jason.

"Um, uh.. gods why am I musing over this decision?" Jason moaned as he proceeded to line up for a shot. Jason ended up hitting the gutter on his first turn, to Piper's delight.

 _Damn, she's smart._

"I..I still get a kiss though, right?" he asked awkwardly while going back, embarrassed.

"Well, in all honesty, I would've kissed you no matter what Jason. But now its warranted!" Piper exclaimed giving her boyfriend a big kiss on the lips. Jason lost the round but got the girl.

Fair trade-off.

Next up were Silena and Charles. As Charles was lining up his shot, Silena tried the same tactic.

"Come on Charlie. Same thing like Piper. Knock a pin. No kiss!"

"Sorry Silena not gonna work," he said as he prepped himself for the shot.

"Come on Charlie! You're really going to give up an awesome kiss from me for a bunch of dumb pins?"

"Yes. Yes, I am. Nothing personal babe. Now, let me focus and I'LL give you a kiss later if I get a strike, huh?"

Silena sighed. "Ugh, you're frustrating," she moaned, getting a grin from Charles. He ended up getting a strike as predicted, while Silena only knocked 5 out of 10 pins, settling for a spare. However, she still got a kiss from Charles. And Silena was pretty happy about that.

Next, Frank and Hazel.

"Alright, Frank I'll play it fair. No ultimatums. Just pure bowling, ok?"

"Mmm, let's see what you can do Hazel." Frank said, a tinge of teasing in his tone which got some snickers from the guys.

Hazel then calmly went to line up her shot. She held the bowling ball in her hands for a while, her eyes dead focused on the pins ahead, calculating like she was about to go into battle.

Hazel took a deep breath. She then released the ball.

"WHOA!" we all exclaimed as Hazel got a perfect strike. Her form was excellent, textbook almost to a professional bowler. It was quite clear that Hazel KNEW how to bowl. As she walked back and looked at Frank, he had a stunned look on his face, as well as the guys.

"I..I.."

"I said I'm going to play fair. And I got a strike, Frank." she said giving a casual shrug.

"Dude, your girlfriend is LEGIT at bowling!" Leo called out from the back.

"How..what..why have we never gone bowling before Hazel?"

"You never asked." she casually responded all the while the girls and I were cheering and high fiving her.

Next was Luke and Drew. Drew didn't even attempt to try. She just threw the ball in the gutter and strolled back to her chair. Her phone was in her left hand the entire time.

 _Why would you go bowling with us if you're not even going to try?_

It was then Luke's turn.

Luke went up to lane, the same sour expression present. He was gripping the ball tightly. There was some obvious anger in his bowling release as he threw the ball.

"FUCK!" he then yelled as one of the bowling pins didn't come down.

"Luke, hey!" I then called out. "Come on! That's pretty good."

"So FUCKING close!" Luke exclaimed, throwing a little tantrum almost. He had a look of utter frustration on his face as he started muttering some curses to himself. This was the bad Luke coming out again, which I HATED.

"Luke hey! Goodness. Why are you getting so upset about this?"

"Annabeth, leave him alone please," Drew then said. "He's .. conflicted right now.

"Conflicted? What the heck does that have to do with this?"

"Of course you wouldn't understand Annabeth" Drew softly replied shaking her head at me as she left.

I couldn't think about my boyfriend's shenanigans for long though. Next up was the awaited match. Me vs Percy.

As I went up to grab a bowling ball, Percy began his annoying antics.

"HEY! Pretty girl!" he said in a joking manner, causing some of the guys to laugh.

"Interesting strategy being used by Percy. The _say to the girl she looks great_ distraction tactic." Leo commented.

"I should've done that with Hazel," Frank muttered, who was still in a bit of shock over Hazel's strike. Hazel proceeded to give him a nudge. I tried ignoring Percy as I walked over to the bowling lane.

"Yoo-hoo! Hello! Princess!" he continued. I again ignored him as I was lining up my shot, sizing up the pins.

"For clarification, the VERY pretty girl I'm talking about is you Annabeth.."

I then looked back at Percy and gave him a glare. "You think flattery is going to sidetrack me Seaweed Brain?"

Percy shrugged. "Just trying. Between, you look REALLY hot Annabeth. Like, whoa! Did I also mention your SO pretty? Yeah, I did." he continued, that sarcastic grin emerging on his face.

I knew he was joking, trying to distract my focus. _Ugh, typical Percy._ However, I hesitated a bit before releasing the ball. I got a little giddy on the inside when I heard Percy say those words. I kept replaying them in my head.

 _Pretty girl. That's me!_

I liked those compliments quite a bit.

Actually TOO much.

 _Stop it! Focus! Seaweed Brain is trying to mess with you!_

Throughout all this, I took a glance at Luke. His facial expression was even harder now. He looked really annoyed. He took a desperate glance at Drew, who again just waved him off and shook her head.

 _It's almost like he wants permission from Drew to do something._

However, I shook all those thoughts from my head as I focused on bowling. I took a deep breath. _Ok, release the ball at a certain angle ensuring that it will swerve in this direction.._

I then threw the ball. I watched it roll first a bit to the right then back left. The ball then hit the first and immediate pin to its back right, the "sweet spot" if you will.

As usual, I got a strike.

 _Haha!_

As I looked on, I erupted in a big smile. I walked back towards Percy, a bit of pep in my step, as I continued to smile and look at him.

"Hmm. Guess the really pretty girl got a strike, huh?" I teased as the girls in the back were cheering me.

Percy gave a little nod, impressed. "Got to give you credit Annabeth. My tactics did not work. But it's MY turn now Wise Girl thank you very much." Percy responded as he grabbed a bowling ball. He walked up to the lane. Percy had a calm look on his face as he released the ball.

As if this was planned by the Fates, Percy got a strike. He then turned around and looked at me, giving a little shrug like _yeah, got a strike? Who cares! I do this in my sleep._

I moaned. Ugh, I HATE him!

 _And love him._

"Whoa, they BOTH got a strike!" Jason commented in awe.

"Wow!" Silena also said, giving an impressed nod to both of us.

"First time tonight!" Piper exclaimed.

"What..what do we do?" Frank asked.

"Hmm." Leo then interjected in this fiasco. "This..this has never happened before in the luxurious one-day history of this event. We need a winner each round, right? Um, I..I guess you guys still have to keep bowling until one person messes up."

"You're..you're kidding right?" Percy and I both exclaimed.

"Bowl-off you two! Remember, who wins gets the ultimate bragging rights."

 _Mmm, that's REALLY appealing. Rubbing that I won in Seaweed Brain's face._

"Alright, I'll go first now!" Percy exclaimed, grabbing a bowling ball. Percy got another strike.

"Your turn!" I then went up. I also got a strike, to everyone's shock.

"Touche?" I replied, giving him a smile.

"Alright, this is DEFINITELY a competition now!" Rachel exclaimed. Percy and I continued like this for the next 3 rounds, both of us trading blows like we were in a Greek sword fight. It was statistically improbable what we were doing; Percy hitting a strike than I. He gets a spare one round, only for me to do the same. I honestly would've been content with plain old rock, paper, scissors at this point to settle our match.

It was then Percy's turn again.

As he was lining up his shot, I decided to get a little..dirty and sneak up on him. As Percy was about to release the ball, I gave him a little nudge on the back.

"Hey, what the heck Annabeth?" he yelled as I laughed. This caused Percy to prematurely throw the ball. It ended up rolling into the gutter.

"Oh that is SO not fair!" he exclaimed as he frowned and looked at me fiercely.

I put my hands up innocently. "Oops, sorry I did that Percy." I responded trying to put my best guilty face on. I was doing a terrible job though.

 _Am I bad for doing that? No..I..I just want to win REALLY badly against Percy. That's all._

"Come on, you can't allow that!" Jason exclaimed.

"Hey, it's called being creative!" Piper responded.

"That's like MORE than creative." Charles cried out.

"Percy still had the ball in his hand. Annabeth didn't force him to throw it!" Silena then argued.

"We need a neutral voice. Leo?" Everyone then turned towards Leo at the back, who was still flirting with Calypso. It took him a while before he noticed us.

"Huh. What?"

"Leo! Annabeth pushed me before I bowled. Is that allowed?" Percy asked.

"That's an inaccurate description! I just gave a nudge, that's all!" I responded, making my case as a lawyer to a judge.

"I..uh.." Leo began, not sure what to do. "I'll..I'll allow it, for now. I mean, you guys have been going at it for the past few minutes. Other people need to bowl you know?"

"Are you freaking kidding me!" Percy groaned as I put my hands up in victory, along with the girls.

"Haha! Yes! Thanks so much Leo! You're the freaking best!"

"Gods, this isn't over Wise Girl," Percy uttered.

"Hey, I just need to knock down one pin and I win!"

"Not if I can stop you," Percy exclaimed. I quickly went to the bowling ball area to grab one. However, Percy was right on me. As I took my ball and went to the lane, Percy was in front, blocking me.

"Hey! Move out of the way!" I yelled.

"Annabeth, if you can push me, I can definitely block you. It's only fair, right?"

"Come on Seaweed Brain! Let me end this now!"

"Not if I have I say in that," he responded. Percy went towards me to try to yank the ball away from my hand.

"Let go of my ball!" I exclaimed.

"Just give it to me Wise Girl and everything will be fine."

"Um, how about you take your hands of my ball? THEN everything will be fine,"

"Ok, you want to play it the hard way so be it." For the next few seconds, Percy and I played tug of war with the bowling ball, neither of us budging or giving an inch. Eventually, the ball accidentally slipped and rolled over to the next lane.

I quickly went to go after it. However, Percy was all over me. He quickly went over and wrapped his arms around my body, to my surprise.

"What the heck? Let..let me go!" I shrieked.

"No Annabeth." he responded.

"Percy!"

"Sorry. Can not do!"

"PERCY!" The entire time he had his hands around my waist, holding me in a tight grip lock, my back against his chest.

It would've been admittedly nice had it not been for the fact that I REALLY wanted to bowl and kick Seaweed Brain's ass.

"Percy! Um, can..can you please let me go." I then began, trying good-old fashioned kindness. I started to make my gray eyes as cute as possible. I always knew it was a little weakness of Percy.

Unfortunately, it didn't work this time.

"Sorry Wise Girl. Niceness isn't going to work. I cannot let you defeat me."

"UGH! Percy, gods! Let me go this freaking..ahh!" I yelped, giggling and laughing as he continued to clasp on to me. I was trying to fight and release myself from Percy but his grip was strong and firm. He refused to let go.

 _And I kind of didn't want him to._

"SEAWEED BRAIN! WHAT ARE YOU...OH GODS AHH!" I suddenly exclaimed as Percy lifted me into the air and held me by my stomach. I was flailing my legs, yelling.

"You're going to let me win or not?"

"Ugh, this is TOTALLY not fair Percy!" I moaned, though I was still giggling. Our friends were also smiling, amused by the whole debaccle. Luke, though, glared at us. He started to slowly get up.

"Leo! This is DEFINITELY illegal!" I then yelped

Percy smirked. "Like pushing me wasn't.."

"OK THAT'S IT. I FUCKING HAD IT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE!" Luke exclaimed. He suddenly stormed towards us, his face just overcome with anger.

Percy quickly put me down. He started to tense up as he looked at Luke, who was stomping his way towards me. I also started to tense up, fear taking over. I never saw Luke like this before.

"Luke, what are you.."

"ANNABETH! DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME! I KNOW. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN SCREWING AROUND WITH PERCY THE PAST FEW MONTHS!"

"Luke, no..I..!"

"DREW TOLD ME! SHE FUCKING TOLD ME EVERYTHING! SHE TOLD ME THAT YOU LIED ABOUT BEING SICK THAT FRIDAY AND SLEPT AT PERCY'S PLACE! THAT YOU KISSED PERCY ON THE CHEEKS DURING THANKSGIVING!"

"DREW!" I then looked over at my friends, all of whom had stunned looks on their faces now at the whole situation, Piper and Silena especially.

"DREW! WHAT THE FUCK?" Piper exclaimed as she got up and glared at Drew "You GOSSIPED about that? Are you fucking kidding me! I trusted you with that shit! You said you fucking changed!" Piper yelled.

"Well I guess I didn't Piper." Drew said nonchalantly, her face in a big smile. She was enjoying all this.

"UGH FUCK YOU DREW! FUCK YOU!" Pipes exclaimed as she went over to Drew, looking like she wanted to punch her. However, Jason then stopped his girlfriend before she could act.

"Pipes. Hey, calm down! Don't..!"

"Annabeth, I can't fucking believe this!" Luke yelled as my attention turned back to him "All the shit I've done for you and THIS is what you do? Gods, no wonder you wanted to skip the New Years party. You just wanted to go and fuck around with Percy like a .. like a little _slut_!"

"Okay, dude, what the hell!" Charles then exclaimed, shocked by his friend's choice of words. He then got up and went towards him. "Why are you calling Annabeth that dude? That is TOTALLY overboard!"

"BECAUSE SHE'S THAT!"

"Luke, I'm..I'm not " I softly began, feeling really hurt by my boyfriend's choice of words.

"I'm..I'm with you! I'm..I'm not.."

"CUT THE SYMPATHY ACT ANNABETH! YOU LYING LITTLE PIECE OF..!"

"DUDE, HEY!" Percy interjected in the middle, coming between my boyfriend and I. Percy had been silent for some time. However, as he heard Luke continually berate me, Percy spoke out.

"Dude, look you're misinterpreting things! Nothing happened between me and Annabeth during New Years. Nothing!"

"Luke, Percy is lying! He's totally lying! I have proof on my phone," Drew exclaimed as she got up and went to him.

 _Proof?_

Drew pulled her phone out. She then scrolled to a photo. It was of Percy kissing me on my nose. His sea-green eyes were wide with delight. My expression happy and blissful.

 _Who..who took that photo?_

Luke laughed bitterly as he stared at it, shaking his head. He then looked up at me and gave a big snort.

"Gods, you look happy in that photo, don't you Annabeth? Thank goodness I didn't ask you out for that Valentine's Day Dance yet! Why the fuck would I now?"

"Luke, no!" I cried out loud, my heart slowly tearing apart. "I..I wanted to go with you ever since I started dating you. I..I wanted to go with my first ever boyfriend!"

"Well, I'm not your boyfriend anymore Annabeth! That's it, we're done! WE'RE THROUGH!'

"LUKE!" I cried out loud, devastated now. I felt like breaking into little pieces. My gray eyes were tearing up a bit.

 _No, not..not my first break-up. I..I can't deal with this!_

 _I can't have another person in my life leave me.._

"Dude, no!" Percy yelled as my friends came over to try to comfort me.

"Luke, please! Let's just talk this out. PLEASE. I can't deal with a breakup. I..I can't!" I pleaded, looking at Luke intently.

"Annabeth! I don't want to hear it! I DON'T WANT TO FUCKING HEAR IT ANYMORE!" he yelled. Luke was halfway out of the place. Charles, Jason, and Frank quickly went over to him, trying to talk some sense in Luke to no avail.

"Luke calm down man please!" Percy called out to him. "This is not what it looks like! Just talk it out with Annabeth like she said. Just calm down!"

Luke stopped just as he was about to exit. He then turned to Percy. He gave a big snicker and laugh.

"Calm down? You want me to fucking calm down dude? How the hell am I supposed to calm down when I know my girlfriend was fooling around behind me? When she's in love with YOU obviously."

Percy's expression tightened at those words. In a loud but restrained voice, he replied.

"Anna.. Annabeth's not in love with me,'

"Luke, I'm...I"m not in love with.." I slowly began. However, I stopped midway. I refused to say Percy's name.

"Annabeth, don't lie about it! For once don't fucking LIE! Not only to me but to yourself. Just say you love Percy and that's it! I don't give a fuck at this point, to be honest,"

"I..I don't.."

"Just say it! Say you have feelings for Percy and that's it Annabeth! Then we can put all this to rest!" Luke exclaimed.

Everyone around was also doing the same. The exception was Percy, who refused to meet my eyes throughout this whole time, the same tight expression present on his face. I felt like cowering at all this attention; at the one question that was being thrown at me.

 _Do you have feelings for Percy?_

"I..I.."

"DUDE, GODS, IT'S NOT ANNABETH WITH FEELINGS FOR ME! I HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER!" Percy suddenly exclaimed.

* * *

 **(Percy POV)**

"DUDE, GODS, IT'S NOT ANNABETH WITH FEELINGS FOR ME! I HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER!"

I stood by the entire time, in disbelief, as Luke was yelling and berating Annabeth. It had seemed like Luke had heard, courtesy of asshole Drew (man can I say fuck her!), that Annabeth and I had a fling going on. Drew had even gotten a photo of me kissing Annabeth on the nose during New Years, which shocked me.

 _How did she get that?_

That was the least of my concerns now though. The entire time I took some discreet glances at Annabeth, who was in absolute pain and hurt at Luke's words. Annabeth's gray eyes looked dreary and lost; her face absolutely beaten up. She was sniffling a bit. It was similar to in middle school after Nancy Bobofit had bullied and teased her.

I felt myself break at that sight.

"Just say it! Say you have feelings for Percy and that's it Annabeth! Then we can put all this to rest!"

"I..I.." she began.

I couldn't leave Annabeth like this! I knew how much it would hurt for Luke to break up with her. Annabeth had always told me that one of her biggest fears was someone in her life leaving her.

I had to do something. I couldn't let her stay like this.

"DUDE, GODS, IT'S NOT ANNABETH WITH FEELINGS FOR ME! I HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER!" I exclaimed.

Everyone turned. They had wide looks on their faces as they stared, some in disbelief. Annabeth, as well, looked up at me. Her hard expression was replaced with one of shock. Her gray eyes, usually calculating, flat. She stared at me for a while, still taking in what I had just revealed.

 _Percy..Percy has feelings for me..._

I tried to ignore it all and continued, though it was hard. "It's..it's true," I began, taking in a deep breath. I started to speak very slowly.

"I..I used to have a crush on Annabeth back in middle school. It..it was just that Annabeth was really smart, nice, had a good sense of humor. She was also really caring for people. I..I really liked that about her. I remember before I almost got into a fight with a school bully. Annabeth stopped me before I could get in trouble. If it wasn't for her, I..I probably would've gotten kicked out. I'm forever grateful for that."

"What.." Luke began, his hard expression loosening.

"I don't know why I had a crush on her in the first place. I guess Annabeth was the first girl I was actually really good friends with. And .. cared for. She was always kind of cute. Pretty. Sweet. And," I started. I shook my head as I realized I was getting overwhelmed thinking about Annabeth.

"But I don't have a crush on her now! It..it was a long time ago. I..I don't have feelings for Annabeth anymore," I then said. I felt some hurt at my last statement. My heart began feeling heavy. It was a lie, a painful one, for sure. It was one that I kept repeating to myself over and over ever since middle school.

I tried to shrug it off though and continued. "But I..I do still care for Annabeth Luke. A lot. She's my best friend. Always will be. That's why I went with her to Times Square. And hanged out with Annabeth these past few months."

"Then why did you kiss her on the nose then huh? If you don't have feelings for Annabeth, why did you kiss her!" Luke then asked.

"BECAUSE SHE WAS FEELING LIKE SHIT AT THAT MOMENT DUDE!" I exclaimed, looking up at Luke, my sea-green eyes intense. I was angry, really angry.

"When you texted Annabeth Luke, she was angry! Sad. Frustrated. And I HATE seeing that. And I kissed her to..to make her feel better! To let her know I was there for her! Luke, don't..don't you fucking realize at times how shitty you've been acting to Annabeth?"

"Jackson!" Luke exclaimed, his angry expression returning. "You have no right to judge how I treat my girl! Did you know all the shit I've done for her? I've taken Annabeth out for dates at fancy restaurants. Bought her stuff! Took her to Greece this past summer for crying out loud..!"

"GODS LUKE ANNABETH DOESN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THOSE THINGS!" I yelled. I then went over and got dangerously close to Luke. I probably shouldn't have done that in hindsight but I was so livid now. He needed to hear what I was about to tell him.

"Annabeth's not a girl who wants that stuff! She wants someone who likes to spend time with her! Who takes care of her. Makes her feel special. That.. that loves her a lot!" I began. My voice got down at the word love as I thought of my own deep love for Annabeth. My heart was feeling heavier.

A pained expression on my face, I continued. "Luke, you're..you're really fucking lucky to have an awesome girl like Annabeth. Probably more lucky than you realize. If..if you want to break up with her that's fine. That's a big loss for you."

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

"I used to have a crush on Annabeth back in middle school."

I was in an absolute daze. My brain started working in overdrive, processing what had just been said though nothing occurred. I was looking at Percy, not aware of who I was staring at though I knew it was my best friend I had known for 4 years.

 _Percy..Percy had a crush on me before.._

He continued. "I..I don't know why I had a crush on her in the first place. I guess Annabeth was the first girl I was actually really good friends with. And..and care for. She was always kind of cute. Pretty. Sweet."

I felt myself soften at Percy's words. My heart began to open.

 _Percy..Percy always thought that about me?_

Afterwards, Percy started to scold my boyfriend, criticizing him for the way he treated me throughout the time we were dating. I was really scared for Percy; Luke did not like to be schooled or criticized at all, let alone both. However, Percy was doing both, unfazed, intent on telling him what he felt.

It was admirable. The things Percy mentioned were things that I always wanted to tell Luke. Yet never had the courage.

"Annabeth's not a girl who wants that stuff! She wants someone who likes to spend time with her! Who takes care of her. Makes her feel special. That..that loves her a lot!"

 _I was looking for those things in a guy..._

"Luke, you're..you're really fucking lucky to have an awesome girl like Annabeth. Probably more lucky than you realize. If..if you want to break up with her that's fine. That's a big loss for you,"

Percy then ended his speech tirade and gave a big exhale. I kept staring at Percy, my mind still on his words. Luke also stared at him for a while, trying to take in everything he said. Eventually, Luke's angry expression began to fade. replaced with a flat one. He then gave a long, exasperated sigh.

"I'm..I'm sorry Percy. I just..hearing all those things Drew told me about the two of you made me angered. I ..I didn't like it that Annabeth seemed to like spending more time with you than me."

"I'm sorry for that Luke. I care for Annabeth a lot man. I didn't want to get between you and her. Let me be clear though. I don't have a crush on Annabeth anymore. It's..completely gone."

Luke softly nodded. "I..I should've known how much you care for her Percy. It's pretty freaking obvious by now," Luke then turned over to me, an awkward, remorseful look on his face.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry about all this. For all the..words I've called you before. I really am. But, I..I want to be with you still. Percy is right; I haven't been a good boyfriend to you the past few months with football, spending time with my friends. And I'm sorry for that. But I want to change. Will..will you give me another chance?"

I didn't hear Luke's apology; my mind was still engulfed with one thing and only thing.

 _I used to have a crush on Annabeth._ I was still stupefied, not processing it. For once my brain was stumped with something.

My feelings.

My best friend always had a crush on me. I never knew.

 _Or maybe, I just tried to ignore it. Wanted to deny it._

"Annabeth?"

"Huh?" I then asked, looking up at Luke as he continued to stare at me.

"Will you give me another chance?"

"Um..uh.." I looked around at my friends, all of whom were looking intently at me. I then looked over at Percy. He was looking away not wanting to meet my eyes. He still had that same hard expression.

I looked back and forth, absolutely confused.

 _Did Percy still have feelings for me? Or was that from before? Even more, what were my feelings for him?_

For once in my life, logic wasn't going to dictate my choice. It was going to be my emotions. Even worse, there was no conclusive answer. No examples I could look back on. No point of reference or simple calculations I could do.

It was simply _who did I love_?

I was lost right now. _Really lost_. In that confusion, I took the safe path.

"O..Okay," I then replied, though it was a half-hearted one. Luke, giving a smile, went over to give me a hug, to the disappointment of Drew who said out loud "Oh are you fucking kidding me."

For the rest of the time, we tried to continue bowling, though it was pretty awkward and silent. Eventually, we decided to call it an early quits, which everyone was glad about.

"Annabeth, look, I'm so sorry you had to go through that!" Piper than exclaimed as we were about to leave. "Drew tricked me! She said she changed. She..she fucking lied!"

"Pipes, it's okay." I softly replied, putting my hand on her.

"I..I was just telling her how much I admired you and Percy's relationship. How much you worry about each other. How I..I was touched by that. But she set me up! For what? Stupid gossip? That..that fucking manipulative BITCH!"

"Pipes, hey, calm down. Look, Drew, we'll always be like that. No one will change that. And I..I know you always thought that Percy and I had a close relationship. And I..I appreciate that you feel that way" I softly added. As I said that, I then took a look at Percy, who was on his way out, expression still hard.

I thought about calling him. I wanted to talk to Percy.

 _I needed to talk to Percy._

But I..I didn't know what to say yet. I..I didn't know how I felt yet about him.

Eventually, giving an exhale, I then said "I'm going to go now Piper. I'll..I'll see you in school tomorrow," as I exited.

Outside, I was greeted by Luke, who had been standing there the whole time in the cold. He still had a remorseful look on his face as he called me.

"Annabeth, hey, I'm sorry again. I really am so.."

"Luke, you don't need to keep saying. I know already, that's fine." I softly replied. Some silence pursued. Eventually, Luke asked.

"Do..do you want me to take you home?"

"No, I'll..I'll go myself. The A train is close by. I'll be fine,"

"Annabeth it's more than okay if you want me to go with you. I'll gladly.."

"Luke. It's..it's okay. I need time to..reflect," I began as Percy crossed my mind.

Luke gave a soft nod. "Okay then," he slowly said as he walked away.

I then got back home at around 10. I then went directly to my room and plopped myself on my bed. I had some Greek history homework to do still but my mind was absolutely all over the place. Bowling, my fight with Luke.

 _Percy saying he used to have a crush on me._

I then looked at my desk. There were some earbuds, my Daedelus MacBook, sketching utensils. However, I took note of one thing in particular on the top, right beside my prized sketchbooks. It had become one of my more treasured items as of late.

 _Percy's Christmas scrapbook._

I grabbed the scrapbook and began flipping through the photos, letting the nostalgia take over me. AMNH trip. The really cute picture of Percy as a baby (Ahh! I love that SO much between!). The random, weird pictures we took together. I began smiling widely.

 _I..I love all these memories._

I stopped at one photo in particular. The one of me after the Nitro ride. I always frowned when I saw it. _Seaweed Brain is SO weird to include it!_ However, I couldn't help but chuckle. That Nitro ride was pretty freaking awesome. Fright Fest.

 _Kinda Ka. Riding with Percy, holding his hands throughout the ride._

I thought back to at the end when exiting, I had accidentally kissed Percy on his lips. It's just. I don't know. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was feeling so happy and elated. So thankful for all the wonderful things he's done for me. So grateful for having Percy with me not only during the ride but throughout my life.

I had chalked the kiss up to the "heat of the moment", denying it was anything love-related.

 _Don't lie to yourself Annabeth! Be honest_ my mind began telling me.

 _You said you used to have a crush on Percy. Like he..he did with you._

Thinking back to that kiss again and what I felt at that moment, those were the same feelings I experienced when I kissed Percy on his cheeks during Thanksgiving. During the Vicetone Concert as we danced and swayed together. Karaoke. That nose kiss he gave me at the end of New Years, which left me feeling giddy and so at peace.

I felt so close to Percy. So..attached. _So, in love._ I thought back to one thing, in particular, Percy said to Luke in their argument.

 _Annabeth's not a girl who wants that stuff! She wants someone who likes to spend time with her! Who takes care of her. Makes her feel special. That loves her a lot!_

I wanted that someone to be Percy. _I always thought that person was Percy._

Now, I knew. I did have feelings for him. I was in love with Percy.

 _I think I always have been.._

The problem was, I didn't want to have this emotion. I didn't want to confront them. I kept denying them.

 _I was scared. To..to be in love with him._

* * *

 **Denial**

 **(Rachel POV)**

Percy and I went to eat at a nearby Five Guys on 40th street for burgers after bowling. However, we were half-heartedly munching on them. Both of our minds were still on what occurred before.

"Hey, are..are you okay Percy?" I finally asked after some prolonged silenced.

"Um, yeah, yeah Rachel. I'm..I'm alright," Percy sighed, though that was clearly a lie. He was picking at his milkshake, not meeting my eyes. Percy had ordered a double cheeseburger with everything on it like he usually does. However, he had barely taken a bite.

After some more milkshake picking, Percy gave a big moan and looked up at me.

"Rachel, I'm sorry you had to go through that. It was uncomfortable, I know that. I apologize."

"It's..it's okay Percy. You weren't the one that started it." I then replied. Some more silence pursued. I started thinking back to one thing in particular.

 _I used to have a crush on Annabeth_.

It was something that I long suspected ever since I met Annabeth and Percy. That Percy might have feelings for Annabeth.

 _Of course, used to?_ Seeing Percy and Annabeth together the past weeks, their attitudes, the way they acted near each other, that was just a big lie.

"You had a crush on Annabeth before Percy, huh?" I then said out loud.

"What? Um, y..yeah I..I did," he replied. However, Percy quickly added. "But it was a long time ago Rachel! In middle school. I..I don't have feelings for Annabeth anymore. None whatsoever! So don't worry about it babe," he exclaimed, putting a weak hand on me. However, Percy had the same pained expression befor in bowling; the same hurt looks when he told Luke that his crush on Annabeth was gone.

Percy was lying. He was just in a state of denial.

"Gods you're such a bad liar." I then muttered.

"What?"

"You're such a bad liar Percy! I know you have feelings for Annabeth still! Don't keep denying that!"

"Rachel, no! I'm your boyfriend. I like you. I like hanging out with you!"

"And I don't doubt that at all Percy! But you have feelings for Annabeth! Just admit it!"

"I..I don't Rachel, I.."

"Then tell me why you did all those sweet and wonderful things for her, huh? Why did you go to Annabeth's house to comfort her when she was having dad problems? Why did you surprise her with bringing him over for Thanksgiving? Why did you decide to go to a concert with her instead of a date with me? Kissed her on the nose during New Years?"

"Rachel, I'm sorry for all that! You're..you're misinterpreting them!"

"Percy, I'm not angry." I then began, taking a deep breath. "I see how close you two are. How much you care for each other. And it's refreshing to see. It's..unique and great. But what I'm going to be angry about is if you keep denying that you have these feelings for Annabeth. That you don't love her!"

"But Rachel I..I don't love.." he said, though he stopped midway.

"Than say it!" I yelled as I got up and looked at Percy fiercely. "Say that you don't love her! Say it to me straight up you do not love Annabeth!"

"I..I.." Percy began. However, he didn't refute my claim. He just kept staring off in one direction, overcome with emotions, feelings that I could tell had been pent up for years.

Eventually, Percy looked at me, though not meeting my eyes. He had a tight expression. In a soft but hardened voice, he slowly said.

"I..I do love her Rachel. I love Annabeth. I..I love her a lot. Always have."

I softly nodded to Percy. I then went over to put a hand on him, trying to comfort Percy, who continued to look down.

"Why haven't you told her Percy?"

"I..I didn't want to. I didn't know if Annabeth returned my feelings. I was scared that I would forever ruin our friendship if I revealed it to her. And that is the VERY last thing I would want."

"Percy, you're wrong though. Absolutely wrong. Annabeth DOES like you. She has feelings for you too. I know it."

"How..how can you be sure about that Rachel?" doubt in his voice.

"Percy, I had a conversation with Annabeth during the New Year's party. She acted differently when talking about you. So, happy and at ease. I..I also saw you two skate during Christmas,"

"You..you did?"

"Yeah. I came a bit early to the place, wanting to do some alone skating reps. However, I already saw the two of you there. I got furious at first. I thought that you were doing something behind my back. I was about to go and give you a piece of my mind. But I stopped when I heard Annabeth speak. When I continued to observe. I saw how she was acting so differently with you when teaching you how to skate. Soft. Patient. Very Caring. When you injured yourself, Annabeth was so overcome with fear and anxiety. She looked so frantic. I never saw that much angst in her before."

"I..I guess," Percy uttered as he slowly started to look up at me.

"I, uh, I also saw her kiss you on the forehead,"

"Oh, you..you saw that? Oh, gods," he stuttered. Percy was blushing hard. However, I gave him a wide smile and a little shoulder squeeze.

"I did Percy. And it was beautiful. Because I could tell how much love she put into it when she kissed you. How much care and passion that she had for you. Look, Percy, Annabeth loves you. I know it. She's just scared or afraid to admit it for some reason. I don't know why. But you NEED to tell her Percy that you love her. You can't keep playing this denying game! You can't keep believing you will just forget about her! That's wrong!"

"I..I don't know if I can."

I then grabbed Percy by both his shoulders and looked at him intently, like I was about to give a prophecy. I gave a deep breath. I had been thinking about doing this for awhile. But now, more than ever, I needed to.

It was necessary.

"Look, Percy, you're a really sweet guy. And I want to be your friend still. Definitely. But I don't think we can continue to date and be together, not when you're in love with another girl. And that's okay. I always believed people should be with those they love. And you love Annabeth Percy. You do. And I know she loves you back. That's why you need to tell her. Please do," I said. I then turned and proceeded to exit Five Guys, leaving Percy by himself, still deep in thought with his emotions, thinking over my words.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **First, I hoped you all thought I handled the break-up with Rachel and Percy okay. I never wanted it to be harsh but rather on mutual terms ; it was an understanding by Rachel that Percy had deep feelings for Annabeth and vice versa. Rachel sees this through watching the two skate, her conversation with Annabeth on with Percy, as well as Percy's rather painful, revelation of his crush on her.**

 **It was due time for the break-up, but not without Rachel giving Percy advice.**

 **Also, both of them admit their love for each other; Percy quite openly with Rachel and Annabeth to herself. Both say though that they're afraid to reveal them, the reasons similar. There's going to be more explanation for why they feel this way, especially for Annabeth, in the coming Chapter. But, now, Annabeth finally admits it. (You guys are probably thinking _Ugh finally! )_**

 **Talking about coming chapters, there's one more "development" chapter till the BIG Chapter 15, which I have been planning FOREVER since I started the story from Chapter 1. The next one is important though. I hope to upload it by Thursday if I can. I have an open schedule Mon/Tue/Wed so that's great. Hopefully, I'll be able to write fast.**

 **Reviews, follows, favs are always appreciated! And hope you guys enjoyed and have a great day (between it snowed here! I semi-like it cause its the first snow of the winter season, duh =) But that means I have to shovel. Also slippery sidewalks. Guess you take the good with the bad, huh?)**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	14. Chapter 14 - That Special Girl

**Hey! Crazy end last chapter right? Don't worry it's going to pick up soon ;).**

 **There are some review responses ahead (thanks to all who reviewed). Also, a personal backstory I wanted to share about why I decided to create "Just Friends" at the very end.**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **imasurvivor1:** If life were ideal, I would post every day! Unfortunately, I can't :(

But it seems like you're excited about the direction of this story. And I thank you!

 **Lobous26:** Yeah, admittedly, Rachel on this website does get demonized quite often, which I'm not a big fan of. She has such a great, interesting character in the book and to just tear that apart doesn't feel right. I'm really glad you liked my execution and handling of Perachel's relationship.

 **Percabeth824:** I already sent a PM but I want to say this again. You're so amazing girl! You're definitely one of my favorite followers. I always anticipate your lovely reviews whenever I upload and I'm so happy that you think this story is amazing.

 _Virtual high five!_

 **EmmaBloomFan12:** Yep, the plot is picking up soon. Buckle up!

Sorry if the story seems like a slow-burn. But I wanted Percabeth's relationship to be as close to real life as possible. A friendship first that, slowly, through little moments Annabeth and Percy share, leads to them have deeper feelings for one another. And then love.

But really happy you love the story and continue to stick with it!

 **green vines** : Thanks. Stoked that the story made your day again!

Wow, I didn't know how much responding to your review meant so much to you that you showed it to your friends. I am NOT worthy of that sort of attention at all. I'm literally just a dude that writes this for fun. I'm so happy you and your friends love this story. You're great!

 **greasysnivellus:** Lol. You're kinda right; sometimes you need a little insane in life, eh? But you're not insane. You're awesome. Continue to do you, man!

 **paintball331** : Thanks, man and I appreciate it. As said before in the PM, I would upload every day if I can. If I could do this for a living, I would be SO happy.

 **A random reader:** Appreciate the compliment and the way you thought I handled Perachel. Perachel is ok but its all Percabeth for me!

 **Another Seaweed Brain:** Glad you liked it! Thanks for the recent follow and fav as well! Hope you continue reading and reviewing in the future!

 **Olivia:**

Thank you so much! I'm glad you thought the last chapter was inspiring. I think it's testimony to how strong Percabeth's relationship is that even Rachel acknowledges it and wants the two to be together. Also, it sucks that you only got 1 inch of snow :(

But hey, at least your warmer than me :)

Can I also just say your chapter 4 comment a while back really stood out to me even now. To know that people's days are brightened because of this story is wonderful to know. It's reviews like yours that gives me motivation and purpose to write.

Also, to answer your questions; How do I find time to write fanfic? Well, staying up late helps, which I don't recommend at all. Also, when I'm passionate about something, I try to do it quickly and with a 100% effort. I'm a little weird; when I care about something like fanfic, I'll do it with all my heart. But if I don't care about something (like dressing myself up each and every day), I'll put minimal effort.

Did I say I'm weird? Yeah, I did.

 **Fyre:**

Again, thanks! Really touching this story helps you with what's happening in your life. You're earlier comments also kept me motivated to write and I have nothing but gratitude.

 **Elland05 :** :P :P :P

I love how enthusiastic you are about the story! Thanks so freaking much!

 **greekdemigodwannabe:**

I sent a PM but I want to say thanks again! Your reviews are always freaking awesome and weirdly well-timed right before I have exams :). Hope you're ready for the next Chapter 15, which will be awesome.

 **IrisAraciaRose:**

I sent a PM but I wanted to add that there might be some more flashbacks of baby Percy and Annabeth later in the story. I know, THEY'RE SO ADORABLE :)

 **On with the story now!**

 **A/N: Forgive for any typos, grammatical errors, sentence structure errors.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 -** **That Special Girl**

 **Make a Move (Gavin DeGraw reference btw)**

 **(Percy POV)**

 _Annabeth loves you, Percy. I know she does._

Rachel's words kept replaying in my head over and over as I was on the way back home from Five Guys. I had wanted to finish my burger (they're really good) but my appetite and mood were spoiled.

Tonight had been absolutely crazy. First, Luke had accused Annabeth of cheating on him, aided by Miss Asshole aka Drew. He had then proceeded to shout and insult Annabeth, all while she stood by in hurt.

Luke had then almost broken up with Annabeth.

The whole time I was stunned, not believing what I was witnessing; I could feel Annabeth's hurt the entire time. It pained me to see her that way. She was too awesome of a girl to experience a break-up, especially in that manner.

I had decided, for better or worse, to admit that I had a crush on her. _Though_ _I semi-lied about it._ Gods, I could still remember Annabeth's expression so vividly, the stunned look she had on her face. I didn't meet her eyes the entire time, though I suspected they were stormy in confusion.

 _Who would be if they learned that their best friend was in love with them?_

Finally, my girlfriend Rachel broke up with me.

At my favorite burger chain.

So not a great night overall...

Did breaking up with Rachel hurt? Yeah, it did. Rachel was a great girl and I did enjoy the time I was with her.

But I felt even more hurt by the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about Annabeth for all this time. _Still._ By what Rachel told me before she left, all of which were painfully true.

 _You have feelings for Annabeth. Just admit it._

Rachel was right. It was no use to keep denying it. I always loved Annabeth a lot. Even while dating Rachel, that persistent yearning for her never left.

 _It grew stronger._

The entire night I felt bad for Rachel, who had been caught in the middle of this whole mess. Yet, Rachel was extremely emphatic, which made me surprised; however, it was clear she knew how strongly I felt for Annabeth. She had comforted me and given some advice, saying that I should just tell Annabeth these feelings I had for her. She told me that Annabeth considered me very important to her as well.

 _How she also loved me._

I really wanted that last part to be true. I've always wanted to tell Annabeth these feelings.

 _Even more so now..._

But I wanted to know for sure that she loved me back. I _needed that reassurance._ Without it, I wasn't going to make a move.

It was now Tuesday, just a few days removed from the incident. As I approached my subway station, I was greeted by the sight of Grover, standing by the entrance. He was looking around, seemingly for me.

"Grover?" I called out, a look of surprise on my face.

"Percy! Hey dude!" he exclaimed as he went towards me.

"What..what are you doing here?"

"Hey, haven't seen you since last week! Aren't you curious about how my Pan-event went?" he asked, flashing me a little grin.

"Oh yeah. Fair point," I replied, giving a small smile back. "So, how was it? Did you green-yourself out with Juniper?" I joked.

"Ba-ha-ha! Very funny. No, Pan was extremely inspiring. Man, it's crazy how polluted our environment is becoming! Are you aware of how much CO2 levels have risen in the past few years?"

"No, not really. But that's ... interesting to hear..."

"Gods, of course, you wouldn't know! Humans are always ignorant about their contributions to climate change!" Grover mumbled which made me chuckle. Grover ended up smiling as well. However, it quickly faded. In a now serious voice, he asked.

"Um, I ... I also heard what happened that Wednesday when you guys went out bowling Percy." he slowly started.

"Oh..." I responded my facial expression dampening.

"Grover, don't. ... don't worry dude. It..it wasn't bad at all!"

"Wasn't bad!" he exclaimed, looking at me in shock. "My goodness, the words that I heard Luke use against Annabeth! What the fuck! And also, Drew? DREW! You should've heard the things Piper and Silena called her when I was talking to them. All the lying, instigating shit, starting gossip! Drew is such a fucking.."

"Hey come on," I interjected as I put my hand on Grover's back, trying to calm him down. "Drew's a piece of shit. I know that. But it happened already! And I...I really don't want to talk about that night again now." I feebly stated.

Grover noticed my change of tone. He then sighed. In a soft but affirmative tone, Grover proceeded.

"You haven't told Annabeth, didn't you?" he began.

I winced as I heard the mention of her name. Ever since Wednesday night, I haven't had a chance to fully speak with Annabeth about the incident.

 _Or our feelings._

"I..I did tell her that I used to have a crush on her." I began, though that was a weak excuse. Grover, of course, caught it.

"Used to? You know you're lying to yourself when you say that."

I sighed. His words were sounding SO much like Rachel's. After some hesitation, I finally continued. "No, I didn't tell her yet Grover. I didn't..." my expression flat, which caused Grover to exhale in frustration.

"Come on Percy. Why not! Gods, after how Luke treated her?"

"Hey, Annabeth's still with him!" I countered.

"Because she's confused, dude! Unsure. Look, she won't tell you this but I know Annabeth needs you as much as you need her in your life. You two are inseparable! Only the both of you would ditch a fucking New Year's party together!"

"I ... I guess." I managed as I thought back to that night. "But I have to know if Annabeth returns my feelings to her Grover. I..I need to know for sure,"

"Well, how are you going to know if you don't ask?" Grover responded, looking me straight in the eyes. "If you never man up and make the move?"

I got defensive with what Grover was telling me.

"Hey! Are you calling me weak Grover?"

"Percy, I'm not! Look, I don't know much about love shit but I do know that it is hard to reveal to someone your feelings to them. Especially strong ones. I have that problem with Juniper at times. But if you don't ask, how are you going to know?"

"You said the same exact thing before," I muttered as I began to remember my conversation with Grover at the start of junior year.

"Yeah, and that advice still rings true. Valentine's Day Dance is coming up Percy. I can't think of a better day to tell Annabeth."

I gave a little sigh as I thought about it. Just a week before, I had been super excited to go to the Valentine's Day Dance with Rachel. There would be great food. Awesome music. All my friends would be there.

 _Annabeth._

Now, I didn't have a date. _Nor the will to go._

It seemed ... unlikely.

"M..maybe," I said, uncertainty present in my voice

Grover stared at me for a while. Eventually, he sighed again.

"Alright, come on, let's head in Percy," he told me as we headed down the stairs. "Between, I heard you and Annabeth were bowling each other out Wednesday. Was quite the show from what Jason told me."

I gave a little smile as I thought back to that. _That was really fun._ "Yeah, the both of us got competitive,"

"A _bit_ is an understatement. You two are SO fucking competitive! I would know; you kicked my ass in basketball before,"

"And I will do it again you know," I mentioned.

"Just proved my freaking point, Percy... " Grover mumbled as I laugh.

Yeah, Annabeth and I do have a lot in common.

 _That's why I'm in love with that girl._

* * *

( **Annabeth POV)**

I was in love with Percy.

That simple yet consequential statement engulfed me for the next days as I kept repeating it to myself.

 _I was in love with Percy. I had feelings for him._

Even more, I've ... I've always felt this way. The same feeling. Not only at the start of junior year, but even when we were younger. In middle school.

I tried to tell myself repeatedly this feeling went away. That this crush faded.

 _I wanted it to._

But it didn't.

Gods and this love for Percy now felt SO different. _And stronger._ I don't think I've felt this type of love for anyone else..ever. For Luke. My own dad. It was overwhelming like I was under Circe's spell. Painful, in the sense that I couldn't stop thinking about Percy. Worrying.

 _Longing._

But, I ... I had a boyfriend! I like Luke. I can't pursue these feelings all of a sudden!

 _I didn't want to._

Luke, in the meantime, had been trying his best to act like a better boyfriend. He still felt guilty about the way he behaved. And I still felt hurt by how harshly he acted, the choice of words he used.

How he almost left me.

Here's the thing about Luke; he can be sweet but when his harsh side comes out, it is ugly to see. It's almost like I'm interacting with another person like his body has been taken over by something.

However, Thursday night, Luke had taken me out to Lombardi's in Little Italy for a date. He also started spending some more time with me in lunch, after school, for the latter of the week. Over the weekend, Luke had taken me on a surprise stroll through Prospect Park. Clearly, Percy's words struck a nerve with Luke. And I was appreciative of his efforts to change himself.

But this newfound love for Percy still waned. A part of me kept wishing that Percy was there instead of Luke. It was almost like I was..lovesick for him.

 _Oh man._

It had now been a week since the incident. I hadn't spoken to Percy much of all since. We did exchange the occasional texts. The light conversation here or there in lunch and writing class. But never the important one.

 _Our feelings for each other._

A conversation I didn't want to have.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Luke called out to me Tuesday morning as I was getting my ancient Greek textbook from my locker.

"Oh, hey." I softly replied, taking a glance at Luke, mind still occupied with Percy.

"Are..are you okay?" he asked as Luke put a hand on me.

"Yeah, I'm..I'm fine Luke." I lied.

"Annabeth, don't lie to me, please. I can tell if something is bugging you."

"Nothing's bothering.." I started. But Luke continued to stare at me. He was clearly not buying my excuse. After a while, I let out a sigh.

"It's just, I have that..argument we had in my mind still Luke. Everything that happened that night." I then told him, being semi-truthful to my boyfriend.

Luke gave a soft nod. "It's okay Annabeth. I understand that. I..I was acting like a dick to you."

"Um, yeah, you..you kind of were," I awkwardly replied. Some silence ensued for a while. Eventually, one of Luke's friends called out to him from down the hallway.

"Shoot. It's Tim! He's probably going to want to talk about the basketball season. Fuck, I need to leave now. I'm sorry Annabeth. But I am trying to change myself! I really want to!"

 **(A/N: I know b-ball season starts around late November/early December in high school. But I don't care tbh. Just fits my story timeline :PP)**

"I know Lu,e." I replied. "I'm glad you're trying to change. And I'm thankful for that."

"Annabeth, please, if something is bothering you about me, just say it. Be honest about it, okay?

 _Honest. Ugh, that word makes me shudder._ However, I forced a smile. "Okay." Luke continued to look at me for a while, unsure how to leave. Eventually, he gave a sly grin.

"You know Annabeth, we still got that Valentine's Day Dance a week from now!" Luke exclaimed.

"Oh..oh yeah," I mused completely forgetting about it. Man, just last week, I had been SO excited about the dance.

Now, less so.

 _Not with these new feelings for Percy I had._

"It's going to be great Annabeth. With me, you'll definitely be Valentine's Queen for the junior class!"

I gave a little laugh, though it was forced. "Yeah, m..maybe," Luke then left, leaving me at my locker to muse over my own thoughts. I was about to head to class, trying to clear my head. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friend Grover walking towards me.

Alongside Percy.

 _Oh great._

I caught myself staring at Percy, again, for the entire time he was walking, my mind blocking out my nearby surroundings. Goodness, he looked amazing. I mean, when we were younger, I always begrudgingly accepted that Percy was a good-looking guy. He was always kind of cute.

Even handsome at times.

But now, more than ever, Percy looked handsome at every moment. So..good-looking. That aura of his infectious and incredible. I wanted to look away but it was as if the Mist was altering my vision, allowing me to see nothing but Percy straight ahead at every turn.

 _Ugh, I'm really attracted to Seaweed Brain..._

Grover then took notice of me.

"Annabeth, hey!" he called out.

"Grover! Hey, how are you? And, um, Percy.."

At the mention of his name, Percy turned to look at me. His sea-green eyes and my gray eyes momentarily locked with one another, staring. There was some hesitation. Apprehension.

 _Mixed emotions._

"Annabeth. Um, hey.." Percy awkwardly replied coming up to me. We continued to look at each other. I wasn't sure whether or not I should go up and hug him like I always do or just stay there.

 _Is hugging a guy you have feelings for ok? What are you saying Annabeth. He's your friend!_

Eventually, Percy noted the awkwardness. "Um, we're..we're not going to hug Wise Girl?" Percy joked, giving a little grin though half-hearted.

"Oh, yeah, of..of course we were Seaweed Brain!" I said, giving a little smile and a punch, though it was weak. We then hugged each other.

Percy's hug, as always, felt super warm and nice. Butterflies began to churn in my stomach. My mood brightened.

But now I felt something different. Something I..I haven't felt in a long time. I felt..safe. Safe in Percy's embrace. At peace. It was as if all of life's worries began to dissipate at that very moment. Those tangle of emotions I felt from before, gone momentarily, replaced with an assurance that Percy was there.

He was with me.

 _Oh no..is this what it feels like to be in love with someone? Oh, gods..._

"So, how..how are you?" Percy asked.

"Um, I'm..I'm alright," I replied, feeling the lingering effects of his hug.

"That's..that's good" he slowly replied. This meaningless conversation continued for a bit. It was pretty clear though that both of us were trying to dodge the obvious topic in question.

And frankly, I was okay with it.

It was Grover, though, who brought the bowling incident into light.

"Annabeth, gods, are you ok? I heard what happened to you and Luke Wednesday! I was so worried."

"Oh." I replied, my mood getting down as I was reminded of the night. "Don't worry Grover, I'm..I'm okay," I lied. "It was a misunderstanding between Luke and I. That's all."

"Misunderstanding? Annabeth, goodness, you can't let Luke treat you like that! You're better than it!"

"I know. Drew was the one who instigated these..rumors about Percy and me." However, I felt weird now using that term rumors.

 _They weren't rumors. I did love Percy._

"Man fuck her," Grover muttered. "Just..just completely fuck her!"

"Don't agree with the harsh language but yes," I responded, which got laughs from the three of us. Grover then went up and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Annabeth, look, as a friend, I really want you to be with someone that cares for you. I really do. I..I don't want this type of Luke-shit to keep happening over and over! Please." Grover exclaimed. He then shot some glances at Percy, who had been looking off, seemingly trying to not be involved in this conversation.

"Thanks, Grover. It means a lot when you say that." I replied. My eyes also inevitably glanced at Percy.

After a while, Percy interjected into our conversation.

"So, um, Annabeth, I ..I won that bowling match that Wednesday, right?"

I was surprised at first at Percy's seemingly random question. But, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

 _Of course, Seaweed Brain would bring that up._

"Well, I won that match Seaweed Brain to clarify, thank you very much!" I retorted.

"Yeah, because you cheated Miss Push-Gate!" he shot back.

"Hey, that wasn't cheating! That was just..working cleverly out of the regular realms of the rules!"

"Mmm. Just a fancy way of saying you cheated Wise Girl."

"You just don't want to admit you lost!"

"Or you don't want to admit that Seaweed Brain would've won through fair competition,"

"Oh shut up!" I said as I gave Percy a nudge. However, we couldn't help but smile and laugh about it. Grover, as well, was smiling the entire time.

However, after, we then continued to look at each other. The same apprehension took over. Percy looked like he wanted to say something to me.

 _I wanted to say something._

Eventually, Percy, clearing his throat, finally spoke.

"Annabeth, look." he finally said, giving a big exhale. "I..I need to, explain, you know.."

"Percy, it's..it's okay. You don't need to explain." I softly replied as I put a hand on him.

"No, I need to. I'm..I'm sorry if you feel weird about what I said before on Wednesday Annabeth. About that..that crush I had on you. I just, seeing Luke scream at you, I felt a need to go and tell him that. I couldn't bear to see you like that."

"I appreciate that Percy. I really do,"

"Again, it..it was a long time ago Annabeth! I'm..I'm TOTALLY over this crush okay! I don't have any feelings for you anymore." Percy said, giving a little grin. I noticed though this grin looked a bit more forced.

"Yeah, o..okay," I replied in a low voice. Some silence pursued for a while. Eventually, I tried to break this tension.

"You..you're going to act all weird and stuff around me now Seaweed Brain?" I asked, giving a smirk.

Percy laughed. "Yeah, of course, Wise Girl! I'm going to act all awe-struck, shy, giddy.."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, haha, very funny!" I commented giving him a nudge again.. Grover was laughing too, though it looked reserved. It seemed as though he was disappointed in what Percy told me.

Eventually, the bell rang, signaling that 1st period had started.

"Oh shoot, I'm going to be late for class!" I remarked.

"Yeah, uh, me too," Percy replied. We then looked at one another again, that same awkwardness setting in, neither of us unsure of how to leave the other.

"I'll..I'll see you around I guess?" I then managed to say after a while.

"Yeah, see..see you later Wise Girl" he responded as we then gave each other a little hug. Percy went off with Grover, who still had a disappointed look on his face, down the hallway in the opposite direction. I was about to go as well but something kept bothering me.

 _Had been for years._

"Um, Percy," I then stated out loud as he and Grover were nearing the end of the hallway.

"Yeah Annabeth?" Percy responded, turning around

 _Just tell him Annabeth. Tell Percy you love him. Tell him you have feelings for him too_ my mind began telling me.

I wanted to SO badly. After the concert. Christmas. New Years.

 _Many times before._

But I..I suppressed it. All my emotions. Like with my dad. With my boyfriend. I couldn't bring myself to say what needed to be said.

"I..I want to say bye, that's all." I ended up saying, forcing a smile at Percy.

"O..okay." he said, giving a little soft grin as he left.

As soon as Percy left my sights, I let out a big scream to myself.

Ugh, why does love have to be so..real! Why can't I just say I love him!

 _Why can't I say to those that I love I love them?_

* * *

 **Guilt**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Next Tuesday then came. A day before the Valentine's Day Dance.

For the time being, Percy and I were able to get back into our goofy, playful routine, which I was happy for. I could still sense some weirdness between the two of us, Percy uneasy about revealing that former crush he had on me.

But, it..it was okay. And of course, I did tease Percy numerous times about that crush to his bemoaning.

However, I kept replying to myself earlier, in the hallway, when I was so reluctant to tell Percy that I had feelings for him.

 _Ugh, why does this always happen to me when I'm about to tell reveal my feelings!_

6th period then came, P.E class. As usual, I went straight to the locker room to change into my gym clothes; some grey shorts and a shirt. However, as I exited, I was greeted by the sight of a packed, full gym with kids standing around, on the bleachers.

 _What the.._

"Whoa, what's..what's happening?" I asked out loud as I looked around.

"Oh, they're just combining the later gym classes together Annabeth!" Silena told me as she went beside me. "They're preparing for the Valentine's Day Dance tomorrow."

"You..you serious?" I asked.

"I mean, it is a pretty big event Annabeth for all the non-seniors." she pointed out. "The student union pushed for the school to have more PSA funding. Also, more attention and planning to it. You were a part of that right?"

"Yeah, I was." I replied. "But I didn't think they would take our complaints seriously!"

"Well, Dionysus was the head of school planning events somehow before he got, um, booted. So it makes sense they would be trying to improve the dance for all the students,"

"Now that makes PERFECT sense." I commented as we both laughed. Silena then looked over at me, her eyes wide, face expression bright

"So, you excited for your first Valentine's Day Dance girl?" she asked, clapping her hands.

"Um, kind of," I started. "I mean, it's..it's not like the senior prom or anything Silena! So my excitement should be limited."

"Oh come on Annabeth. Lighten up! It's a dance after all. And you of all people LOVE dance raves."

I gave a little smile. "That's true." I managed.

Silena continued. "Besides, everyone will be voting for Valentine's Day King and Queen! Which is the second biggest thing in CHB High School apart from senior prom king and queen."

"Second," I pointed out, which got Silena to roll her eyes. "And I know. Luke has been making a BIG deal of it for the past week."

"As he should. I love you Annabeth but Charlie and I WILL win that crown thank you very much!" Silena stated out loud, giving a big grin.

I smiled and chuckled. "We'll see," I said. I then looked around and saw an open basketball court on the side.

"You wanna play some basketball now Silena? If I'm already in my shorts, I guess I'll just shoot some hoops for the time being"

"No, that's ok Annabeth. I'm..busy..." Silena quickly said.

"Oh, don't want to ruin your manicure for the Valentine's Day crown, huh?" I joked.

"Annabeth! That's not, what are you..ugh what the heck!" Silena groaned as I laughed. She then proceeded to head into the stands, shaking her head and mumbling to herself.

 _Ah, Silena. I love that girl! Ugh, why can't I just be as honest with my love for Percy as with Silena..._

I then grabbed a ball from a nearby rack and proceeded to start shooting a bit. Okay, I'm pretty okay with basketball. I'm not as good as Luke or Frank. But I can definitely shoot and make some shots, unlike Drew. And I've kicked Percy's ass multiple times in one-on-one games.

And, really, that's all the basketball skills I ever need in life.

As I was shooting some free throws, a voice from behind called out to me.

"Mind if I join you Annabeth?"

I then looked up to be met with a pair of green eyes and crazy red frizzy hair.

My friend Rachel.

"Oh, hey Rachel! What..what are you doing here?" I asked giving a wave.

"They switched my gym period. So I'm here now. Were you busy?"

"No, just practicing some free-throws. You?"

"No as well. I was about to go talk to the girls but Silena looked like she was in a bad mood,"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I may or may not have had a role in that." I admitted as Rachel laughed.

"Well, since I'm here, I guess we'll get a game started Annabeth. 1 v 1?"

"Oh definitely. You can go first!" Rachel and I then lined up with each other in the half court line. I checked the ball to her.

Rachel slowly went up to me as I covered her, dribbling the ball. She first faked a move to the right. However, she quickly cut back to the left, the classic deke. Rachel then ran hard towards the net, about to go up for the lay-up.

However, I quickly recovered from my rather poor defense. I sprinted after Rachel. As she was about to attempt the lay-up, I came up and blocked the ball.

I had denied Rachel. _(Gods I sound like Luke now when he's watching the Celtics game)_

"Whoa.." she said out loud.

I then gained possession of the ball and made my way back towards the half-court line. Rachel recovered quickly though. As I was about to charge to the net, Rachel was on my heels.

"Alright Annabeth, that was good but let's see what you got!" Rachel was now playing some hard man-to-man defense, staying close to me, trying to strip the ball away.

I looked towards the left and right, trying to find an opening. But Rachel was very nimble and agile.

 _Just need some separation._

I first faked a move to the left as if I would charge there. However, quickly, I went to the right.

Rachel, as I expected, reacted accordingly, mirroring my moves. However, I didn't head right. Instead, I took a step back

Rachel, momentarily, lost her focus, fooled by what I did. For a split second, I had an opening to attempt a three-point.

 _Gotta go for it!_

I took the shot.

It was all net.

"Wow, you're..you're good Annabeth!" Rachel commented, whistling and looking impressed as I went to go get the ball.

"Well, I'm..I'm alright Rachel.." I said, giving a little shrug. "I'm just competitive, that's all,".

"Damn right you're competitive! Gods you and Percy are so fucking competitive it's annoying."

I gave a little chuckle. "I've..I've been told that numerous times," I said. "So, um, anyways you..you excited for tomorrow Rachel? The Valentine's Day Dance?" I asked, trying to stir up some conversation with her.

Rachel's smile dipped a bit when I asked that question. "Oh, um, yeah, Annabeth. I'm going. Obviously!"

"That's good. With Percy, right?" I asked.

"Actually, no I'm not. I'm just going to go with my friends. Kayla. The girls,"

I looked at her, a puzzled look on my face. "Why not? Percy didn't ask you to go or something?"

"No it's.." Rachel began, taking in a deep breath. "I broke up with Percy Annabeth. A week ago. That Wednesday, after we bowled together."

As I continued to look at Rachel, a shocked look formed on my face.

"Oh..oh my gods..Rachel, you..you did?" I asked, my voice assuming worry.

"Yeah, we did Annabeth. Don't worry about it though! It..it wasn't on bad terms," Rachel continued "It was ..Percy and I came to a mutual understanding of certain..things. And we decided to break-up,"

"Oh my goodness. Rachel! I'm .. I'm so sorry!" I responded as I put my arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her. Admittedly, I wasn't always on board with Rachel and Percy dating. I wasn't cool with it.

 _I had some feelings for Percy._

But I didn't want them to break up! No! That was the last thing I wanted! I couldn't do that to Rachel.

 _Or Percy._

"Annabeth.." she continued. "Again, it wasn't on bad terms! Don't get too sad. I'm still friends with Percy! I still help him out in Science, although he is very inattentive at times admittedly." Rachel joked.

"But Rachel I..I can't imagine.." I started, not sure what to say. However, in my mind, one thing began to replay.

 _I used to have a crush on Annabeth._

"Rachel, did..did you break up with Percy when he said that he..he had a crush on me before?" I then asked.

Rachel shook her head. "Annabeth, no, it wasn't that! It..it was.."

"Rachel, you're misinterpreting that statement!" I exclaimed. "Percy's crush on me was from a LONG time ago. For sure. I don't love..he doesn't have feelings for me anymore Rachel! None!"

Rachel was looking at me the entire time as I spoke to her. Eventually, she shook her head and gave a big sigh.

"Percy told you that, huh?" she began.

"Um, what?"

"Percy said to you that he didn't have a crush on you anymore, right?"

"Yeah...he..he did. And, it's..it's true!" I responded, not sure where she was going with this.

"Gods, you and Percy are the same." I could hear Rachel mumble to herself. Eventually, she let out a big exhale and looked at me.

"Look Annabeth. I don't want to reveal too much about what I told Percy. Or what he told me. But I didn't break up with him because of what he said about his crush on you. I..I came to an understanding that he liked this.. certain girl more."

"Um..w..what?" I asked. My eyes widened.

"Percy likes this girl Annabeth. Loves actually. He always had. He considers this girl super special. Very important. I could really tell how much this girl means to Percy by the way he reacts whenever he speaks about her."

"He..he does?"

"Yeah, you..this girl means that much to him. And I saw that very clearly. Numerous times. And I was touched by it a lot. By how strong their connection was and still is. The care and..and love. That's why I broke up with Percy Annabeth." Rachel then exhaled and continued. She got weirdly close to me, hands on both sides of my shoulder.

"I can't tell you who this girl is Annabeth. It's.. not my place to do so. But I need to tell you something. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day Annabeth; go and tell those you love that you love them. Please don't try to put it off or ignore. Percy's been doing that. And it really sucks to see." she said as she headed off, leaving me to muse over her words.

 _And this girl._

* * *

 **What is Love**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

8th period came, my writing class.

I still had Rachel's words on my mind as I walked in and sat next to Percy.

"Hey Wise Girl." Percy began, giving me a smirk.

"Hey..hey Percy." I softly replied as I sat next to him.

"Man can I just say I'm like SO nervous around you now?" he teased, faking timidness.

"Haha, very funny Seaweed Brain!" I replied laughing at Percy's joke, though it was subdued.

 _That special girl to Percy. Who..who is it?_

"Alright, class!" Miss Thompson then called out as she went to the front of the room.

"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, one of my personal favorite holidays of the year! Hope you all have fun at the dance if you're going. Today, I thought it would be cool if you would all write down what you feel love is. It will be a nice segway to our section on how to write relationships in fiction stories and I thought it would be interesting if I get a general gist of what the class views love as."

"Oh really?" one of the guys in the class moaned out loud, to the snickering of the girls.

"Hey!" Miss Thompson responded out loud. "This is a writing class! Besides, I think love is one of the most misunderstood, hard to explain feelings. You may think you know what love is but it's different for everyone who feels it. So try writing it down." With that, the writing teacher left us to be, some of the guys groaning about why they choose writing class as an elective in the first place.

"Alright, this is going to be fun," Percy grumbled. "Explain what love is."

"Yeah, it...it is," I responded, thinking about it for a bit.

 _What is love?_

Admittedly, I was stumped. Miss Thompson was right. Love was a hard thing to explain. To grasp.

 _To maintain._

Unconsciously, my eyes began to look over at Percy, who was looking down, writing intently (for once). Man, he looked great today. Same beautiful hair. Piercing sea-green eyes. Sarcastic, amazing smile he flashed every now and then. Percy was pretty focused on his writing, which made him look really cute.

I started smiling as I thought about Percy.

 _Why am I in love with him in the first place? Why do I have feelings for Percy?_

I then started to write.

Midway, Percy looked at me and made a joke.

"You want to hear what I wrote Annabeth?" he asked like a little kid.

"Alright. Humor me, Seaweed Brain." I replied as I looked at Percy.

"Okay. Love is something you feel when you feel giddy around a person. You start acting funny and shy."

"Oh very funny Seaweed Brain," I commented, rolling my eyes. "You feel that way when you're around a girl?"

"I mean, that's what I feel when I'm around you now," he said, continuing to push the joke.

I sighed. "Ugh, you're SO aggravating at times!" I exclaimed, which got Percy to laugh.

"Alright then! What did you write Wise Girl?" he asked as he took a look at my paper. However, I quickly snatched it away from his view.

"No I...I don't want to show it!" I quickly exclaimed.

"Come on! It can't be THAT bad," he stated as he went closer to me.

"Percy, no it's..it's not good!" I cried out.

"Annabeth, come on..."

"No, I.."

"Too late." Percy finally said as he snatched my paper from my hand to my horror.

"Percy!"

Clearing his throat, he then read aloud what I wrote.

"Love is a special, hard to explain feeling. It's something that only the two people involved can feel and understand. When you're with the person you love, you feel extremely happy. Safe. At bliss. You forget all of life's problems. You would do anything for that person because you know that other person would do the same for you. That they care and love you a lot. That they'll continue to be there no matter what."

As I heard my own written words spoken by Percy, I started to get emotional.

 _That's what I wanted in love. From my dad. My boyfriend._

 _My..my mom I never knew._

I never truly felt this love in my life.

Ever.

As he continued to read more of what I wrote, Percy's grin faded more and more. He started to assume a more serious look. His expression became softer.

"Oh," he finally said after he read my whole paper.

"Give...give me that Seaweed Brain!" I yelled out loud as I snatched my paper. I was looking away from Percy, not looking at him. Percy continued to look on, almost in a daze, thinking over my words. Eventually, he looked over at me.

"Annabeth.."

"W..what!" I snapped.

"I..I didn't know you felt that strongly about..love," he continued.

"Hey, I just.." I began, assuming a weirdly defensive tone. Eventually, though, I let out a sigh.

"I..I do. I just..that's what I feel when I love someone a lot, like my..my dad, significant other. My..my mom. I want to feel that I'm cared for. That they love me back. That...that they'll continue to be with me. I don't think you..you really love someone unless you feel all those things. I..I don't."

Percy gave a soft nod. He then got close to me and put an arm around my body. I started to feel instantly snug and my body exploding.

"That's..that's really beautiful to see Annabeth. I..everyone would want that too," he said, voice trailing off in the end. Percy continued to put his arm around me for a while. Afterward, I asked Percy.

"Percy, is it true. Did...did you break up with Rachel?" I slowly began.

Percy, for a while, was taken aback by my abrupt question. However, he gave a little exhale, closing his eyes.

"Yeah. The break up was mutual Annabeth. Rachel and I had some differences on..things. And Rachel thought it was time to call it an end to our relationship,"

I nodded slowly and sympathetically. "I'm sorry Percy. I know Rachel was a pretty cool and awesome girl." I told him as I was the one now who put my arm around Percy.

"It's ok Annabeth..." he slowly replied as I continued to comfort him.

I thought back to what Rachel told me about Percy, telling her of this girl he still had strong feelings for. It reminded me of my conversation with Percy when we went out to eat at Emmett'. I had teased and asked Percy about any girls that interested him. He had been reticent. Extremely guarded despite my repeated inquisitions. The only thing he mentioned was that there was a special girl in his life that he knew from before that he loved a lot.

That was important to her.

The way he talked and reacted when speaking about this girl was warming. Touching. For a split-second, I thought about asking Percy about who this girl was outright. I began to think about my own feelings for Percy.

 _Maybe..maybe that girl is me. I want_ _this girl to be me_ my mind began to say.

But I thought better of it. I .. I didn't think it was appropriate to ask.

 _Or what to do if it was true._

"Percy," I then managed as I looked at him. "You'll find another girl eventually. Maybe Rachel wasn't the right one. You'll know when you find someone you love. I know you will."

"Maybe." Percy didn't meet my eyes. There was clear doubt in his voice.

"Look, tomorrow is Valentine's Day, right? We told each other in New Years that we'll start to be more honest with each other. With those around us. And that starts with admitting things. Such admitting to those you love you love them." I continued, thinking about my own admittance that I loved Percy.

"I know Annabeth. I know. We did say that. But I...I don't know." He stopped for a while as if he was unsure if he wanted to bring up what he was about to say.

However, slowly and cautiously, he continued, "There's this ... person I love Annabeth. A..girl. I...I feel really strongly about her," he started.

I nodded slowly. "I can tell."

"Yeah. But I don't know if you...um...this girl returns my love. I really want to say I love her but I don't know if she feels the same way. I'm...I'm scared to find out," he said, his voice in pain. He still didn't meet my eyes the entire time.

I then went close to Percy. "I know what you feel Percy. I really do" I said as I continued to comfort him. The way Percy looked and felt was the same as I experienced when I refused to admit my own love for Percy.

 _It really is hard to admit._

But I cared for Percy. _Maybe more than myself._ And he needed to say to this girl that he loved her.

 _Whoever it was._

"Percy, you..you gotta do it. You just have to! If you don't ask, how will you ever know if she loves you? If she returned your .. your feelings? Valentine's Day only comes once a year Percy. You need to make the most of it" I finally said, echoing Rachel's advice.

Slowly but surely, Percy began to take in my words. He then looked up from the ground and towards my face. His eyes slowly began to meet mine.

"Are..are you sure about it?

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure," I told Percy, confidence in my voice beaming.

"O..okay," he then said as I smiled at him. I then looked up at the time. It was around a minute till class ended.

"So are..are you coming to the Valentine's Day Dance tomorrow?" I asked.

"I know you don't have a date or anything but I just..I really want you to come to Percy," I stated, being honest about the last part. Percy looked at me for a while, his mind pondering. Eventually, he gave a big smile.

"Yeah, I..I think I will Wise Girl."

* * *

 **Reveal**

 **(Percy POV)**

I was on the way home, on the subway, taking some deep breaths.

 _I need to do this. I HAVE to do this. I've been meaning to do it for so long._

I began to replay my conversation with Annabeth in my head over and over, like a broken record player. The advice she gave me.

 _If you don't ask, how will you ever know if she loved you? If she returned your your .. your feelings?_

I especially thought long and hard about Annabeth's words. The way she viewed love. What she felt someone should feel when they were in love with another person.

 _When you're with the person you love, you feel extremely happy. Safe. At bliss. You forget all of life's problems. You would do anything for that person because you know that other person would do the same for you. That they care and love you a lot. That they'll continue to be there no matter._

I felt that with Annabeth. She was the only person I truly felt all those emotions for. The only person I think I truly ever loved. A lot.

 _And will continue._

The Valentine's Day Dance.

I didn't know how I would go about doing this. What I would say. Do.

 _What I needed to reveal._

Heck, I didn't even know what clothes I would be wearing tomorrow (hope Piper is really good with men's fashion) And I still felt some overarching apprehension of not knowing how Annabeth would react.

But I was going to tell Annabeth I loved her.

* * *

 **Sorry if the chapter felt short and timeline abrupt.** **But the important takeaway: Percy will tell Annabeth his feelings for her.** **On Valentine's Day. It only took Annabeth's own words coincidentally to convince him.**

 _ **How ironic...**_

 **Also, how does Annabeth still not get that the special girl Percy is mentioning is her?**

 **D-E-N-I-A-L.**

 **Anyways, the next chapter will be the Valentine's Day Dance! I'm so freaking excited! Little spoiler; Annabeth in a dress and Percy in a suit.**

 **If anyone wants to see any particular songs for the next chapter for the dance, by all means, PM or post! I will gladly try to include it if I can and I'll put a little shoutout to you (little incentive I know :) )**

 **Anyways, as always, review, fav, and follow at your command! As stated, below is a backstory I included for why I made "Just Friends" in the first place.**

 **Enjoy your day and stay awesome and warm everyone!**

 **-FrictionFiction108**

* * *

 ** _Backstory on why_** ** _I decided to write "Just Friends"_**

 **Let me just say something first; I** **don't really consider myself a love, drama, or emotional writer. I don't. I'm a humorous, sarcastic, self-deprecating dude. I like to read some love stories but I've never really ACTUALLY written one before.**

 **However, Percabeth was the first ever OTP from any novel/book/tv show that truly inspired and made me go "wow, that's what love should be!" That's part of many reasons why they're my** **all-time** **top pairing.**

 **Actually, a** **few months back, I hadn't read PJO in quite a while since around 8th/9th grade. It was during one summer day while I was cleaning up my still messy as heck room I stumbled across _The Last Olympian._**

 **I started to get nostalgic as I looked at it, my childhood calling out to me. I began to remember how fucking awesome that whole series was. The Greek mythology, storyline, characters.**

 ** _Annabeth and Percy's relationship._**

 **I skipped ahead to reread their underwater kiss scene which I still remembered. Let me tell you; that scene is absolutely PERFECT. I was smiling. The scene was so beautiful and awesome. Their whole relationship in the series is amazing. Made me SO jealous I couldn't have a relationship as great as that in my own life.**

 ** _Sigh._** **#ForeverAlone**

 ** _Clearing Throat._ Anyways, it stirred me to reread the whole series again all the way to _The Blood of Olympus_ in HOO. All the great Percabeth moments. My 2017 summer was consisted of PJO binge reading on my tablet whether at home, on the subway. I was really sad when HOO ended and it left off with saying that Annabeth and Percy were going to college in New Rome. That just felt so..emptyish, if you know what I mean? I felt like there was so much more that could've been explored with the two.**

 **Probably like most of you, I needed to cure my ever so strong Percabeth hangover. So I went to seek fanfic. First ever one I stumbled across was _Dreams_ by Another Wise Girl xx (great story! Definitely check her out though I'm willing to bet you have already). That led me to create a fanfiction account a little over 3 months ago.**

 **They are some really great fanfics written by talented writers that I have read. But I always wanted a Percabeth story that was..personable. That related to me. That could relate to a lot of people and life in general. To not only be about love but about friendship, growing up. One of greasysnivellus's** **(by the way your freaking awesome dude!) comments really touched a nerve with me when he said this story reminded him so much of a girl he used to know and** **unknowingly friend zoned** **in the past.**

 **It's really touching to see this story touch affect (effect?) people on such a personal level.**

 **The story concept happened to pop up in my head one day. I started to type it down. I uploaded my first chapter around two or three am on a Sunday night (really shouldn't have done that in hindsight. NO ONE reads at that time. Or is up. Except for me lol)**

 **I was hesitant and nervous at first since it was my first Percabeth fanfic romance story. I really wasn't expecting much. However, slowly but surely, more and more people were interested, to my surprise. I received** **some awesome reviews, follows, and favs.**

 **And I kept writing and uploading.**

 **And, here we are. Fanfic has officially become part of my life thanks to you guys! And I'm really REALLY happy for that.** **I really am stunned at the amount of positivity this story is getting, considering this is my first love one. You don't know how thankful and grateful I am for all of it!**


	15. Chapter 15- Valentine's Day Dance

**Chapter 15. The Valentine's Day Dance! Sorry for uploading this around Friday!. I actually have work today in the evening (UGH!) and I was working SO hard to finish this chapter and upload yesterday Thursday night (ended up working late till like 2 in the morning).**

 **But waning exams and college did not make that possible. Also, fanfic server randomly decided to say "screw you" in the morning, negating all the edits I made.**

 **I haven't been a bad person, have I Santa?**

 **But the point is I got a chapter in before Christmas. So that's great. And** **we left off 14 with Percy set on telling Annabeth his feelings for her.**

 **I'm not going to spoil any more of this chapter. It will be quite an emotional one. So hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **PS: I also noticed my word count is getting REALLY high now. Nearing 200,000 words. When I first started the story, I didn't think I would be nearing that number.**

 **I don't know if that's a good thing or not but I do like long chapters. B** **ut maybe some of you consider this an issue. So definitely let me know!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **IrisAraciaRose:**

Wow I'm glad your very vested in the story! You'll see if he tells Annabeth he loves her.

 **Lobous26:**

Sent a PM but thanks again man!

 **greenvines:**

Glad I'm not the only who felt the same way after HOO ended!

Admittedly, for the wrong, I had a preconceived prejudice against fanfics when I came to look for some. I just thought they might not be of a high quality or would be weird. However, there are some really good authors and fanfics out there with interesting concepts. And it's great to see.

Between, when it comes to love, I am very self-deprecating on myself, especially when it comes to the topic of finding a date :P. But I honestly do believe everyone has their special someone in their lives waiting for them. It's just a matter of finding that person. Like Annabeth feels about love, _"When you're with the person you love, you feel extremely happy. Safe. At bliss. You forget all of life's problems. You would do anything for that person because you know that other person would do the same for you,"_

 **Percabeth824:**

:P :P :P

I know I sent a PM but I always have an aggravating need to say you're awesome

 **Darknight179:**

I sent a PM already but I wanted to say thanks again.

 **iheartbooks1** : Thank you. As always!

* * *

 **(A/N): The songs I will mention in this chapter were pretty popular between in around the early 2010s, what I consider the "golden age" of music during my time. So, if you're like 20ish or under, prepare to get nostalgic!**

 **Special shoutouts to Percabeth824 and Greekdemigodwannabe for sending some music suggestions. I gotta thank greekdemigodwannabe especially for the LONG list you sent me. I'm really bad with love songs and that definitely helped a lot not only for the chapter but personal music tastes :)**

 **Forgive for any possible typos or sentence errors this chapter might have.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Valentine's Day Dance**

 **Preparations**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

"Annabeth, finish up dear! Your friends are going to be here soon!" Samantha called out to me as I was in my room, preparing for the dance.

"Ok, I will. Thanks!" I replied. I then turned back towards my mirror. I was currently working on my hair, shaping it into a half up half down ringlet (I have to thank the prom section of Pinterest that Silena shared with me ) I was also already in my green sleeveless dress, the same one I had worn accidentally to school one day.

My friends and Luke had all told me I looked amazing in the dress, which I was appreciative of. However, the one thing I thought back to was Percy's reaction; the amazement and awe apparent on his face when he saw me.

I began to smile. My mind began to replay the flattering and fawning phrase that Percy used to describe me.

 _Most beautiful girl in the world._

I could've picked something else to wear but I didn't want to. _I did feel beautiful in this dress._

I finally put on some strawberry perfume for the final touches. I then made my way to the kitchen to get something quick to eat before I left. I was greeted by the sight of Samantha, who was making some turkey sandwiches. However, of course, as I walked in and sat down, she HAD to make note of how I looked.

"Oh gods!" Samantha exclaimed, grinning widely as she put her butterknife down. "Annabeth! You look AMAZING!"

"Oh come on!" I moaned, embarrassment overtaking me.

"Hey! I'm just stating the obvious their girl! I can't say you look drop dead gorgeous?"

"Samantha, this is the same dress I wore before! You saw me in it already!" I noted.

"Still doesn't take away the fact you look incredible in it," she responded.

I wanted to look annoyed but I wasn't. _Samantha was right. I did feel and look incredible._

"Ugh ok, thanks a lot, Samantha. " I then managed as I grabbed a sandwich and started to eat. The entire time Samantha was stealing some glances at me and smiling. I think she also secretly took a photo of me with her phone behind my back.

 _Oh great._

In the middle, I asked Samantha, "So, you have any plans tonight for Valentine's Day?" trying to stir some conversation.

"Well, binge-watch all the corny love-movies they have on Lifetime. Maybe eat some cookies and cream ice cream as well."

I gave a laugh. "You're kidding?"

"No. Going to hang out with my girlfriends, who will THEN join me in binge-watching and eating ice cream," Samantha responded.

"Oh, ok." I commented giving a grin. "Sounds like a night well spent."

"Annabeth, I've given up on dating a LONG time ago! Kind of refreshing to not go on a date with a guy to only break up with him days later."

"Hey, don't say that Samantha. You'll find someone! I know you will." I told her, putting a hand on Samantha's back. I began to flashback to my conversation I had with Percy yesterday about love.

"Maybe you haven't found someone this Valentine's Day. But, you'll definitely know if you..love someone a lot. I know you will," I said, my mind thinking about Percy.

"Yeah." Samantha slowly started, her expression getting a bit down. However, she then looked up at me and gave a smile. "But I have you Annabeth, which is just as awesome!" she responded giving me a little pinch. "And, you know what? We should go out together one day. A date! Movies at AMC! A "fancy" dinner at 2 bros pizza. Then, concluding, a romantic walk together along the West Side! " she joked.

"Ok Samantha, don't make me regret wanting to go on that date with you!" I joked back as we both laughed out loud. Eventually, the time then hit 6:30. A half hour till the dance at 7.

"You should be heading out now Annabeth. I think your friends are already outside. Enjoy your first ever Valentine's Day Dance! Aww, I'm going to cry.'" Samantha told me, grinning, as she gave me a hug.

I moaned again. "Samantha!" I yelped. But, I couldn't help but smile too.

 _I was pretty freaking excited about this dance as well._

I then hugged her back and said goodbye. Walking outside, my friends were already there waiting. Piper got out of the driver's seat to greet me. She looked really great; Piper was wearing a simple long brown dress that complimented her figure and her brown hair was straightened and sweeping to the right side. Her kaleidoscope eyes were changing colors rapidly and twinkling in anticipation of the dance.

"Miss Princess! Hey!"

"Pipes! How are you? And please, for the millionth time, that nickname! " I groaned as I returned the hug.

"Annabeth. You look like a princess now. So for once, the nickname is appropriate."

"Mmm well.. fine." I mumbled as Piper grinned.

"Ok then! We now have Annabeth! Let's get to that dance, shall we? I'll show you to our personal limo, Miss Princess! Well, er, my Ford Focus car but just pretend."

I laughed as I then got into the passenger's seat. "Hmm, not a difference at all." I sarcastically stated. I was greeted by the sight of my friends Hazel and Silena, as well as Rachel, who was sitting shotgun. They were all wearing dresses as well, hair nicely styled. They all looked like they were ready to have fun.

"Annabeth!" they all exclaimed in unison.

"Hey, girls what's up?" I asked as I sat down.

"Ready to party, that's what's up!" Silena said clapping her hands in excitement. Hazel gave a thumbs up in agreement, Piper a mischievous smile. Rachel, though, gave a little moan as she then looked back at us.

"Ugh, Silena, you've been like this since you picked me up. I know you're excited but chill girl!"

"It's just...we're going to a fucking Valentine's Dance! I know it's not the prom but close enough for me!"

Rachel rolled her eyes but eventually gave a chuckle and grin. I was smiling the entire time throughout the exchange as Piper started the engine and took off, heading on the Brooklyn Bridge to our high school.

The car ride to the dance was so much fun, the girls and I jamming to some tunes. Since it was Valentine's Day, the majority of the songs we played were all love stuff. _Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe_ (Silena's choice). _Avril Lavigne- Girlfriend_ (Piper's choice), _Jason Mraz- I'm Yours_ (Hazel's choice) ( **shoutout to greekdemigodwannabe for this song suggestion. I love this song!** ). Rachel then decided to put on _Give You Hell_ by _The All American Rejects._

Not technically a love song but still a pretty awesome one.

Finally, _My Heart Will Go On_ by Celine Dion came on the car radio.

 **(Shoutout Percabeth824 for this song :P)**

"Ooo, shit, this song is awesome!" Silena exclaimed.

"An instant classic!" Rachel added.

"Gods, my boy Caprio should've won an Oscar for his performance on Titanic! Heck, he should've won more than one Oscar!" Piper stated, which got nods from all the girls, including me.

 _Probably one of the biggest grievances ever in history._

For the rest of the time, we started to sing along with the song, the girls and I mimicking trying to mimic Celine Dion's incredible voice.

The chorus then came.

 ** _Near, far, wherever you are_**

 ** _I believe that the heart does go on_**

 ** _Once more you open the door_**

 ** _And you're here in my heart_**

 ** _And my heart will go on and on_**

Silena, at the end, fell on top of me, arms extended, attempting to recreate the iconic Titanic scene between Jack and Rose.

"Annabeth! Hold me, dear!" Silena joked as the girls laughed.

"Silena!" I exclaimed, looking at her in utter annoyance as her body was against my chest, head resting on my shoulder. She then looked up at me. Silena assumed a serious, intent appearance.

"Wow Annabeth, did I ever tell you that your eyes sparkle just like the stars?" Silena started. I rolled my eyes.

 _Of course, Silena's recreating a typical corny love scene from the movies._

"You have SUCH a way with words Silena." I groaned, sticking my tongue out to the collective snickers of the girls.

"Hey, it's true though. I..I think I'm falling for you Annabeth. Like, REALLY hard.."

"Oh gods, I'm going to puke now!" I exclaimed, fake vomiting. Silena then laughed and got up and nudged me.

"Hey, lighten up Annabeth! In all truth, your eyes are really pretty!" Silena said as she smiled. "You have such great looks, especially tonight! Personality, smile.."

"You know if you're going to ask me to marry you Silena just ask." I then muttered as the girls laughed again.

"Alright enough with the joking; let's talk about something SERIOUS for once!" Piper interjected as she looked at us from the rear view mirror. "The little/not so little issue of Valentine's Day Queen!"

"Oh yes!" Silena yelled in excitement. "Yes! Ooo, I hoped Charlie dressed up as something good!"

"Um, how does this whole Valentine's king/queen work again girls?" Hazel asked.

"All the juniors from our class vote for who they think should be king and queen. They then announce the winner at the very end. I think you win a Sephora card or something," Rachel told us.

"Oh, in that case, you all BETTER vote for me!" Silena announced. "I love you guys but come on Sephora? I need that in my life!"

I smirked. "Silena, I don't think you can force people to vote for you,"

"It's not forcing Annabeth! It's merely..strongly suggesting."

"Hey, you know girls," Piper added. "Like I don't care about winning Valentine's Queen. I mean, it would be cool but I'm TOTALLY ok if I don't win. But again, if you want to vote for me, I don't mind at all. NOT. AT. ALL!" Piper said, giving a casual shrug.

I laughed out loud as we continued to listen to some more music for the rest of the ride. As we neared our school, I took my phone out to text Percy.

 ** _Me: Hey Seaweed Brain! You near the school?_**

 ** _Percy: I'm getting ready still. Just making myself look SO freaking good looking._**

I laughed out loud. _Yeah, Percy is pretty good looking. Handsome. Attractive. And..I'm musing about Percy again, am I?_

 ** _Me: Oh ok there big guy! I'll let you get back to your beauty preparations then._**

 ** _Percy: Aww, you're so considerate. I'll see you later Wise Girl. I have some..things to do first though._**

 ** _Me: Ok. Can't wait! See you there Seaweed Brain!_**

As I put my phone away, I couldn't wipe off the big smile that had formed on my face, my anticipation rising every minute.

My first ever school Valentine's Dance! All my friends would be there. Awesome music. Food.

 _Percy._

Tonight had the potential to be a magical night.

* * *

 **Checklist**

 **(Percy POV)**

Looking at myself in the mirror, I took out the checklist I had made for myself tonight.

Normally, I'm not one for checklists. Or any type of planning or organization for that matter. But tonight was going to be a special night. I needed to plan everything to the very last detail and make sure everything was perfect.

I then went over the first few items on my list. _Blue suit and green dress shirt? Check. Nice tie? Check. The haircut I didn't want to get but still did. Double check._

Yeah, I got a haircut. Well, a hair TRIM would be a more appropriate description. When I went to go pay my barber the $20 for the cut, I wasn't too sure what the change was. I thought I looked pretty much the same; scruffy as Annabeth would put it.

My lovely mom, though, told me I looked _"SO freaking cute"_ afterward. So I guess the haircut did do something.

In the middle of readjusting my tie, my phone buzzed. I went to my drawer to see who it was. I started to smile.

It was Annabeth.

 _ **Annabeth: Hey Seaweed Brain! You near the school**?_

 _ **Me:** **I'm getting ready still.**_ ** _Just making myself look SO freaking good looking_** I joked.

 _ **Annabeth:** **Oh o**_ _ **k there big guy! I'll let you get back to your beauty preparations then**._

I laughed out loud as I read the message. _Gods this girl has such a great sense of humor._

 ** _Me: Aww, you're so considerate. I'll see you later Wise Girl. I have some.. things to do first though_** I replied as I hit the send message.

 ** _Annabeth: Ok. Can't wait! See you there Seaweed Brain._**

I couldn't help but continue to smile as I stared at Annabeth's text message. I started to think about one thing.

My final to-do item in the long checklist of things to do tonight.

 _Tell Annabeth my feelings for her._

For a second, the same doubt I kept experiencing throughout all these years about whether I should go and tell Annabeth these feelings began to come back. Apprehension took over yet again.

But, in the end, there was no question I needed to do it. Annabeth's words from yesterday started to ring in my head.

 _If you don't ask, how will you ever know if she loves you? If she returned your..your feelings?_

I just had to tell Annabeth. I had to.

In the middle of musing over my thoughts, my mom then entered the room. Her face erupted in a big smile as she saw my dress attire.

"Hey handsome!" my mom started to joke as she went to give me a pinch.

"Mom!" I moaned as she continued to pinch me. "Easy with the pinches please!"

"Sorry, but I can't help it! My little boy looks SO adorable!" she exclaimed as she took her phone out and snapped a picture of me, to my nuisance.

 _Ugh, parents! Why do they go crazy when they're children are all dressed up? When I have a child, I WILL make certain I will NOT do that to them._

"Between, you did your own your tie, Percy! I'm very impressed,"

"Mom, I actually DO know how to tie a tie for your information.. I just prefer if you did it for me." I told her.

"And I'm very flattered for that. Oh, gods, you're going to look SO good for the Valentine's Day Dance! I need to pinch you again! I can't help myself." my mom finally said as she pinched me some more. If my face was numb by the end, I wouldn't have been surprised.

Eventually, after some more embarrassing compliments by my mother, I then asked, trying to change the subject "So, you have plans for Valentine's Day mom?"

"Oh, nothing much. I'm going out on a nice little date with Paul to some Italian restaurant in the Lower East Side. I'm going to discuss my latest novel release with him so nothing too romantic."

"Mom, what?" I exclaimed, looking at her in bewilderment. "It's Valentine's Day! Why would you talk about work on a date?"

"Percy, I know Paul and I are dating. But we're still working colleagues! Paul is an English teacher that I consult as a novelist. I have a book I'm planning to publish soon that I've been working on forever!"

"Mom, I know but can't you relax and chill for one night? I think you're taking the phrase _working relationship_ too literally if I can say. Have fun for once!"

"Maybe but Percy.." she continued.

"Mom!"

"Ugh, I..I guess you're right Percy. Paul and I have been a bit too focused on work lately. It would be refreshing to talk about other..things," my mom responded, saying that word in a weird manner.

"Can I know what those _things_ might be?" I asked, my lips forming into a playful grin.

"Hey, privacy! I don't kiss and tell Percy. " my mom quickly yelped, as I laughed.

"Alright, least I tried. I'll see you tonight mom! I love you." I said as I kissed my mom goodbye.

"I love you too sweetie." my mom replied as she returned my kiss.

On the subway downtown to my school, I again thought about my final goal for tonight.

 _Tell my feelings for Annabeth._

Thinking about tonight's dance, a little pleasant childhood memory began to pop up in my head. It was my 8th-grade Goode Middle School winter dance. It was the last dance I had attended in quite a while. As usual, I had gone with Annabeth. From what I remember, she looked really cute that night. She was wearing a simple white blouse and blue jeans. Her blond hair was straightened out and falling shoulder length. Gray eyes as pretty as ever.

The entire dance Annabeth had been in the middle dancing while I had been in the back, around the basketball hoop, just standing around awkwardly. I gave some glances at Annabeth, who looked great, but never ACTUALLY danced with her. Admittedly, I was never the guy who was into these things. I was usually the dude shooting some hoops for fun in the back with the other guys.

Near the end, the DJ guy came onto the microphone." Alright, kids, it's time for the slow dance!"

"Oh gods?" I then exclaimed, fear overcoming me as Annabeth came over. "Not the freaking slow dance!" I cried out. She rolled her eyes.

"Goodness, why are boys so terrified about slow dancing?" she asked shaking her head.

"I'm not terrified Annabeth! I'm just..a little apprehensive, that's all."

"Otherwise known as being terrified." she noted.

I grumbled at her. "Ugh, fine," I then looked around. There was a group of girls on the side. I knew some of them from Science class. I started to gulp nervously.

"Um, who..who should I ask to dance with me Annabeth?"

She looked at me for a bit like I was joking. "Are..are you serious Seaweed Brain?"

"No. Uh, should I ask Jenny? Clara? Jessica... no, she hates me! Shoot! I have no idea how to.."

Annabeth then punched me in the gut. She gave a little glare. "Or, you can ask your best friend who happens to be a GIRL as well." she stated, putting emphasis on the word girl.

 _Oh shit, that's true._

"Oh. Oh yeah, o..ok," I stuttered as I hesitantly grabbed Annabeth. We made our way to the middle of the dance floor. I proceeded to put my left hand on Annabeth's hip, being EXTRA careful not to fuck up the placement of them. I used my other hand to hold onto Annabeth's hand. The way she clasped tightly on to them, I seriously thought Annabeth was going to judo-throw me. Her eyes had a look to them that read _don't-mess-up-the-slow-dance-Seaweed-Brain!_

The entire time we were dancing, my ADHD brain began to take in some weird little things. Like the fact that at the time, Annabeth was a solid 1 inch taller than me. Or that she used some fragrant lemon shampoo for her hair. Or that my hands were sweating.

A LOT.

 _Also, I'm dancing with a girl. A really pretty girl._

"Percy, why are you so tense?" Annabeth asked in the middle as we were swaying together. "I'm not going to bite you!"

"Um, please don't." I awkwardly responded.

She shook her head. "Goodness, didn't you have school dances in elementary school before Seaweed Brain?"

"Yeah. But I never, like, ATTENDED one. This is my first-time slow dancing with someone actually." I told Annabeth.

She looked away for a bit. Eventually, Annabeth softly replied "This..this my first time too." There was some silence for a bit. After a while, Annabeth smirked.

"Mmm, this explains why you're stepping on my toes every five seconds."

"Hey, I'm an amateur!" I moaned as Annabeth laughed at me.

"Okay, just shut up Seaweed Brain and continue to dance."

The rest of the time Annabeth and I continued to dance with each other. Slowly but surely I began to have some fun. Albeit, consistently stepping on her, hearing the wonderful sarcastic comments she would give me every now and then. The general nervousness of dancing with a girl.

But I had an awesome time.

At the very end, as we were leaving, I turned to Annabeth.

"So, how would you grade my slow dancing Wise Girl?" I asked.

She stopped and took a while to think "Hmm, well, your form was quite bad. Forced movements. Inaccurate hand placement. Not to mention, again, stepping on my foot an aggravating amount of times.."

"Ok! Ok! Don't need to be harsh about it Wise Girl!" I groaned.

"I'll..I"ll give you a solid middle A- Percy."

"Wow. That..that high?" I asked, looking at Annabeth with wide eyes.

"You are a first-timer. So that factors into my grading. Plus, that..that slow dance wasn't..bad. It was..enjoyable." Annabeth said as she brushed her hair a little nervously to the side.

"Oh, I feel SO redeemed now!" I declared as I pumped my fists into the air.

"Hey, Still an A- Seaweed Brain! You need to work on some things!" she exclaimed.

"Still, I'll take that A- haha!" I said grinning as Annabeth moaned at me.

"Ugh, why did I dance with you in the first place?" she muttered as I laughed, heading towards the subway station. Of course, she was kidding and Annabeth did have a great time.

As I approached my first stop on my checklist for tonight, that memory kept replaying on loop in my head as I exited the station. I started to smile.

 _Tonight has to be perfect. Tonight I'll finally tell Annabeth my feelings._

* * *

 **Where is he?**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Arriving at our school, Piper than parked her car in the side parking lot and exited. Walking towards the gym, Silena then turned towards Piper,

"When are the guys supposed to get here?" Silena asked.

"Any minute. I just texted Jason. Said he was on the way with Frank, Charles, and Grover. Leo's inside already apparently with Calypso."

"Ooo, the guys are going together huh? Like a semi-bachelor party!"

"Well, no but if you want to think that way Silena, up to you," Piper said smiling.

Arriving close to the gym, I could already hear some music playing inside, the current song being _LMFAO- Party Rock Anthem_. There were already quite a number of kids. On the very top, a banner to the entrance of the gym greeted us with the words _Welcome to the Valentine's Day Dance!_

Arriving inside, I took a while to familiarize myself with my surroundings. The school did a very nice job in setting up the gym. On our immediate right were the tables for drinks and food, a whole assortment of Cokes, Sprites, chips, and pretzels at your disposal. On the far back, there were some chairs and an open area. If you happened to dance yourself out, you could always go and take a little RR break.

Along the gym walls and sides, the school had put up some decorations. There were some streamers, heart-shaped signs, as well as some red, white, and pink balloons all around. The school had also purchased some Valentine's light decorations as well. They were hung along the perimeter of the gym and were lit up, emitting some neon red and pink lighting, making for a very pretty visual.

However, the main part, the dance floor, was front and center. They had dedicated a big chunk of the gym meant for dancing only. The DJ booth was on the left side, facing towards the center, big speakers flanking the sides. It was accessible to everyone, which meant that you could ask the DJ for song requests, which was awesome. A disco ball also hanged in the middle of the gym. It was large and glowing very brightly, similar to a full moon casting its moonlight throughout the countryside. When they happened to dim the lights of the gym, the dance floor would look absolutely beautiful.

Our friends made our way through, saying hello to some of the people we knew. Eventually, we went near the DJ stand.

"Whoa, no way." Piper began, looking up. "Is that..is that Leo?"

"Pipes. Hey! And girls!" Leo shouted in excitement as he noticed us. He had on a black tuxedo and pants, Audio Technica headphones hanging around his neck. He went down from his booth and went to give Piper a high five.

"Glad you all could make it!" he said excitedly.

"Leo! You're..you're DJing tonight?" Pipes asked, still in a bit of shock.

"Yeah! Isn't that neat?" Leo started, giving a mischievous grin. "I asked the school whether I could DJ for the dance. They were hesitant, of course. But they then realized just how awesome DJ Leo was and the name sounded! Also, um, they didn't have enough money left to hire a full-time DJ for the night." he quickly added which got some "ohs" from us.

"Why didn't you tell us, huh?" Piper exclaimed.

"Hey, surprise! But now, you get to make song requests to this awesome guy!" he responded, pointing two thumbs at himself.

"I..I don't know what to think about this," Hazel commented as she looked at Leo.

"Leo, you BETTER play some rock music tonight!" Rachel exclaimed, looking at him intently. "I'm going to literally cast a bad prophecy on you if you don't."

"80s/90s stuff as well!" Hazel added.

"Taylor Swift! You GOTTA play some Taylor Swift! It's not a high school dance without Taylor Swift!" Piper and Silena declared at the same time.

"Also, some party music wouldn't hurt. " I then added.

"Ok! Ok! Girls enough with the requests! DJ Leo is a little bit full at the moment. I have a song a request from a..girl to do. _Perfec_ t by _Ed Sheeran_ " he slowly responded. His eyes then inevitably glanced over to the middle, where Calypso was standing, dancing a bit. He had a big smile on his face as she smiled back at him.

 _Aww, how sweet._

All of a sudden, a guy's voice called out to us from the back.

"Hey, Pipes! How are you, baby?"

"Jason?" Piper asked, turning around. Her eyes lit up as she realized it was her boyfriend. "You're here! Oh, my gods!" Piper yelped as she went after her boyfriend to hug him. She took a while to take note of his white suit and white dress pants "You look SO nice!"

"Thanks. Just for you Pipes!" he said with a smirk as Piper gave him a kiss.

"Ok, considering Jason looks like THIS, I think we're going to win that Valentine King and Queen VERY easily!" Piper stated, beaming.

"Oh, NO way girl!" Silena countered. "My Charlie here looks JUST as nice! And we'll win that competition, right babe?"

"Huh?" Charles asked his girlfriend. "Yeah sure, I'll..do that." Beckendorf responded, half meaning it though. He looked over at Jason with a semi pleading look. Jason shrugged his shoulders, sort of stating _just let them act this way Charles for now. They'll get over it._

"Frank you didn't even try to look nice!" Hazel smirked as she took a glance at her boyfriend, shaking her head.

"What Hazel? I'm wearing a nice sweater! It's my favorite one!" he exclaimed.

"Frank, who wears sweaters to a dance?"

"Um, Hazel, my family's from Canada. There's something called cold up there." he noted, which got her to roll her eyes.

"Ugh, you're still handsome to me, unfortunately." Hazel mumbled which got Frank to smile widely.

"Aww! That's all I ever wanted!" he said as he gave her a kiss.

I laughed at all my friends. However, I was really bent on finding Percy. I took a look at my watch.

 _7:10_

"Hey, I'll see you guys later! I'm..going to get something to drink first." I told them as I went back to the food section, near the exit.

At the table, I looked through the food and drinks they had on display. However, my mind was half-paying attention, instead focusing on the droves of people entering the gymnasium, trying to find one person in particular.

 _Percy. Where's Percy?_

"Hey Annabeth." Luke suddenly exclaimed as he came up to me.

"Oh hey," I replied, giving a polite smile to my boyfriend. However, I continued to look towards the front.

"You look awesome tonight, can I just say?"

"Um, thanks." I responded, though half-heartedly. I was still looking for Percy.

 _Goodness, Seaweed Brain takes forever!_

"I'm going to be putting our names on the Valentine's King/Queen competition right now. Is that alright?"

"Yeah..yeah, sure. " I responded, not entirely listening to what Luke said. Luke gave a little laugh, observing my weird behavior.

"Um, ok. I guess I'll..dance with you later?" he asked as he went off to go find his friends. I didn't look back as I continued to peer at the entrance, almost like a wife waiting for her husband from an overseas deployment.

 _Gods, where is Percy? I just need him to make this night awesome!_

* * *

 **White Rose**

 **(Percy POV)**

Before arriving at the dance, I made a little stop near Grand Central Station to one of my favorite places in New York City.

Sweet on America. Probably THE best candy shop in the whole world.

Before my mom began working as a novelist, she worked as a cashier for Sweet on America before quitting. In the time she worked there, it had been a BLESSING for me. I think my mom only continued working there for as long as she did because she knew how much I loved their candy. Each day, my mom would come home from work pockets full of free samples that the store had. Gummies. Chocolate. Licorice.

Blue jelly beans especially.

The store has a very special in my heart. And, since it was Valentine's Day, I, of course, had to get Annabeth, who happened to love the store as well, some of their awesome candy.

Inside, I was greeted by a tall man wearing a kitchen robe, wearing a chef's hat.

"Hello, can I help you Monsieur on this lovely Valentine's Day?" he asked. He had a thick French accent.

"Yes, sir! Can I get a pack of blue jelly beans? Also, some of those heart-shaped chocolates please?"

He gave a smile. "Oh, definitely monsieur! We'll have that for you. Just please be patient." he responded as he then went into the back kitchen.

While waiting for my candy to be ready, I took a while to relook at my Valentine's note card that I had made for Annabeth. I had bought the card yesterday and spent quite a while thinking and pondering over what I would write Annabeth.

 _Man, how much do I love this girl? Why do I like Annabeth?_

I had written all those feelings down and been absolutely honest.

After a long wait, the man then came outside, candies already in a nice little heart-shaped box.

"Here you go! Sorry for the wait but it takes time to create the very finest chocolates and jelly beans in NYC!" he announced as he handed me the box.

I smiled. "Thank you very much! I appreciate it." I responded. As I exited the store, I took a glance at my seashell watch. My eyes widened.

 _7:30_

Oh shit! I was already 30 minutes late to the dance!

I quickly texted Annabeth, frantically trying to come up with a good excuse.

 ** _Me: Annabeth, hey, sorry I'm running late! I'm..busy. But I'll be there!_**

I made a little curse to myself as I then quickly wrapped up all my gifts and note in a little Valentine's themed gift box I purchased. Putting it in my side pocket, I hurriedly made my way towards the subway. Beforehand, I took out my checklist and crossed out a box.

 _Buy Annabeth some candy. Check! Crap, s_ _till have a lot of things to do!_

Exiting the subway at Fulton Street. I took out my checklist and began to look at the next item.

 _Get Annabeth some roses._

I frantically started scouring around, looking for any possible flower stands around. Unfortunately, they were none. I then googled on my phone florist shops nearby. Unfortunately, they seemed to all be closed now.

I started to get down. _Shoot,_ _I couldn't find some flowers for Annabeth!_

I continued to walk down the sidewalk, sighing a bit, as I decided to just go straight to school, skipping the flowers. _Least I tried._ However, I then came across a lamppost across the street. I squinted. I could see that there were some dirt and grass on the bottom.

And, like the Fates wanted it, a white rose.

 _Holy shit._

I quickly made my way across the street towards the lamp post and carefully took the white rose from the ground. It was small. But it was pretty and smiled nice.

 _Perfect for Annabeth!_

I then put the rose in my handkerchief pocket and continued to walk towards my school. I couldn't help but smile as I continued to walk, taking out my checklist.

 _Get flowers for Annabeth? Check!_

Night, so far, has been good.

* * *

 **Love Stoned**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

For the rest of the night, I continued to stand around the entrance, looking on as more and more kids began to come in.

 _No Percy though._

I then took out my phone and looked at the previous message he sent me.

 ** _Percy: Annabeth, hey, sorry I'm running late! I'm..busy. But I'll be there!_**

I looked up at the time.

 _7:50._

Where were you Percy?

"Ok, everyone! LISTEN UP!" Leo suddenly exclaimed into the microphone. "How is everyone doing? Y'all good!" he asked out loud, which got some raucous cheers and applause.

"Even more importantly, how's DJ Leo doing?"

There were noticeably less applause and cheers.

 _Eh_ , _he tried._

"Okay then. Well, um, that was.. the next song is dedicated to all the amazing, beautiful, incredible, hot girls here!" Leo suddenly stated. "Um, e..especially Calypso," he quickly added at the end, though barely audible.

 _Real slick. Mmm, why hasn't Leo asked Calypso out yet?_

"Hey, focus on DJing Leo!" Piper exclaimed out loud, who was near the DJ booth. "Don't try flirting in the middle of Valentine's dance!"

"I wasn't trying to!" Leo said as he turned to Piper. "Was simply making a statement!"

"A flirtatious one!"

"Look, I wasn't..okay, okay, I need to focus Pipes!" Leo declared as he turned back to the audience. "Alright everyone, without further ado, here's the next song! _Nothing on You (Beautiful Girls)_ by B.O.B ft Bruno Mars!"

As Piper heard the piano and Bruno Mars opening chorus, the annoyed look on her face faded, replaced with a grin.

"Mmm, had my doubts about your DJing abilities there Leo. But this song is so fucking good, even I have to admit it!" Piper said, nodding her head in approval as Leo grinned. She then got down and went towards the middle and started to dance. My other friends then joined her, their hands up in the air, dancing as well.

I continued to look on, the entire floor in a frenzy. Piper and the girls, especially, looked like they were having a lot of fun; Piper and Silena were doing the robot dance. Hazel and Rachel the sprinkler.

I smiled and laughed. _Ugh, such corny dancing. But I like corny._ However, I couldn't help but let Percy wane in my mind for the time as I continued to look at the entrance.

"Come on Annabeth, you should join us!" Silena then called out to me, her hands up, waving.

"Oh no that's ok Silena!" I responded giving a little smile. "Just continue to have fun."

"Annabeth, it's a party! Don't just stand there doing nothing!" Silena exclaimed.

"Hey I'm..swaying a bit!" I pointed out. Silena gave a little snort.

"I'm not going to let you spend the whole Valentine's Dance standing around Miss Princess! You're GOING to have fun with your friends!" Silena exclaimed as she then went over and dragged me to middle.

"Silena!"

"Don't fight the impulse girl!"

I groaned a bit. Eventually, I eased up as Silena walked me to the middle. I then met face to face with Piper.

"Hey, Annabeth! Great to see you. Glad you could join us!" she began, smiling.

"Well, I was forced to come here but it's nice to see you too Pipes. Between, nice robot dancing there,"

"Hey, you just jealous of my moves Annabeth!" Piper exclaimed, looking at me with her arms crossed. "Can't handle the awesomeness?"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "Yep, you're right. I'm totally cowering in fear."

"I'm going to pretend that was a compliment instead of sarcasm." Piper finally said to me, going away as I started to laugh, amused by all my friends. Eventually, I let up and started to dance with them.

I had some fun for the next few minutes, just enjoying my time with the girls. Leo then started to play _Love Stoned_ by Justin Timberlake, which was one my top favorite songs.

However, that persistent yearning for Percy kept churning within me. My mind was half-focused on dancing as I kept looking over at the entrance, anticipating his arrival.

Yet, he never appeared.

 _Gods, where is Percy? It's like I'm..love stoned for him._

* * *

 **Practice**

 **(Percy POV)**

Arriving at my school, I then looked at my next item on my list.

 _Finish learning to slow dance with Piper._

Yesterday afternoon and evening, I went to Piper's house to attempt to learn how to slow dance. After a solid 10 minutes of shrieking and yelling by Piper, in joy that I will ask Annabeth to dance with me, she then said yes.

The two of us met outside, in the parking lot, away from the gym. Piper had a big smile on her face as I approached her.

"Alright, you're here!" Piper said happily as I went up to her.

"Hey, Pipes! Again, thanks so much for helping me!"

"Hey, no problemo there! Aww, I still can't believe you're going to dance with Annabeth. I'm so happy for you!" she began, her voice assuming a high and playful tone, jumping up and down.

"Pipes!" I snapped, getting red. "Just help me, please! We only have a few minutes left to learn."

"Ok ok! Sorry." she responded as she placed my left hand on her hip, right hand clasping on to mine. Piper then played some ballad music on her phone.

We danced for a bit. After a while, Piper's eyes lit up.

"You know Percy, I could teach you some other dance moves while we're at it! The waltz, foxtrot, jitterbug. Oh, Annabeth would LOVE the swing dance..."

"Piper! Just teach me how to slow dance and that's good enough!" I snapped.

"Sorry. Got carried away again."

For the rest of the time, we continued to dance, Piper guiding me along. Admittedly, I felt like I had improved quite a lot. My grip wasn't as tense. My movements less awkward. I also wasn't stepping on Piper's toes every 5 seconds, which was a BIG achievement for me.

However, I didn't want to be better. I wanted to be GREAT. I needed this slow dance between me and Annabeth to be perfect.

 _A girl like her deserves a perfect dance._

After a few more minutes, I looked down at my watch.

"Oh shoot, it's 9:25!" I cried out. A little more than 30 minutes left for the dance.

 _I don't think I'm ready yet._

Piper, noticing my anxiousness and hesitation, went up and placed a hand on my shoulder, comforting me.

"Hey, don't worry Percy. You'll do fine! You improved quite a lot if I can say!"

"Thanks Pipes but I want this dance to be incredible. Amazing."

"And it will be Percy. You know Annabeth; she'll love it, either way even if you mess up, I'm sure of it." she continued as her kaleidoscope eyes began to softly change colors. She then gave me a smirk.

"And, for the record, you're much better than Jason. He still trips on me every now and then. So you have that going."

I gave a laugh and hugged Piper. "Thanks, Pipes, your the best." I responded. I then looked over at the gym. "Guess we should head inside?"

"Yes! Between, you have any song requests you want to make Percy?"

"Yeah, I do. Just one. But it's a..special song." I told her

"Ooo, special! I like that. Oh, my gods. Oh, my gods. I'm so excited for you!" she yelped.

"Ugh Piper." I groaned as she continued to laugh. But I couldn't help but smile.

 _Yeah. A special song for a special girl is only appropriate._

* * *

 **Shut Up and Dance with Me (Walk the Moon reference)**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

 ** _Percy: Annabeth, Hey, sorry I'm running late! I'm..busy. But I'll be there!_**

Those words kept replaying over and over in my head as I was sitting down, staring off onto the dance floor, sad.

Overall, I was having a pretty good time at my first Valentine's Day Dance. All my friends looked they were having fun. Leo, as much as we didn't want to admit, was doing a good job in DJ. He played _Sweet Dreams_ by Eurythmics for Hazel. _Stacy's Mom_ by _Fountains of Wayne_ for Rachel. He also played _Taylor Swift's - Love Story,_ which got Silena super excited. When she heard the song come on, she immediately grabbed Charle's hand and dragged him to the dance floor, to his begrudging.

I also danced a bit with Luke for a while, which was nice.

However, still, my mind kept wondering about Percy's whereabouts. I looked around, trying to find him, hoping that he would come.

But he didn't.

I began to feel the same way like during the New Year's party when I couldn't find Percy.

Down. Dampened.

"Ok guys! I'm back after an awesome little snack break! Gods I love chocolate." Leo announced into the microphone. "We've got some more songs to go. Did someone say slow dance? Also, of course, Valentine's competition results! PS: This announcement is meant for you Silena," Leo exclaimed. Silena responded with a grin.

I sighed. _Maybe ..maybe Percy decided not to come at the last minute. Maybe he still felt awkward about his crush on me before._

 _I .. I won't be able to spend the last moments of Valentine's with him._

I then got up, about to get my friends and asked if they wanted to dance some more. However, suddenly, a voice called out to me.

"Did someone ask for a certain Seaweed Brain at this Valentine's Dance?"

I looked back. My eyes widened. My frown instantly disappeared. It wasreplaced with a smile.

A big smile.

"Oh, my gods!" I yelped as I ran over.

It was Percy!

* * *

 **(Percy POV)**

As I entered the gym, I took another look at my checklist and saw the next to do-item.

 _Ask Annabeth to dance with me._

I looked at my watch, at the time. _9:30._

Oh man, it was late! Gods, I spent so much time worrying about making this night perfect! I hoped Annabeth could forgive me.

 _I hope I can make these last 30 minutes with her count._

I peered around for a bit, trying to find Annabeth. I looked first on to the dance floor. But I didn't find her. I then looked over at the food table.

Also not there.

Finally, my eyes came across Annabeth all the way in the back, by herself, looking on at the dance floor.

 _Whoa._

I stood in my spot for a while, in an absolute daze, awestruck, as I stared at Annabeth. Man, she looked so, BEAUTIFUL. Just..wow. Her blond hair was curled and styled in such an elegant, luxuriant way, lying almost windswept across her shoulders. Annabeth's face seemed to glow so vibrantly in the disco light as she sat, emphasizing her natural beauty. Those gray eyes that I always loved looking so captivating and sharp, putting me in a spell-bound state.

Even more, Annabeth's sleeveless green dress.

 _Wowzers._

It was the same one she had worn to school by accident one day. I can still remember quite vividly how absolutely amazed and stupefied I was when I entered the library and saw her in it. The way the dress hugged her body, showing off Annabeth's great figure. How it detailed every little perfect feature of hers. The simplicity of the dress complimenting the perfect simplicity of Annabeth's looks.

Seeing her in that dress, I couldn't help but remember what I told her before when Annabeth expressed doubt in how great she looked.

 _You're the most beautiful girl I've laid my eyes on!_

It was true. Annabeth was a beautiful girl. And she looked even MORE beautiful tonight.

I continued to stand there for a while as I gawked at her. Reality slowly but surely began to set back in for me.

 _Oh yeah, ask the pretty girl to dance with me, idiot._

"Did someone ask for a certain Seaweed Brain at this Valentine's Dance?" I started as I approached Annabeth.

She turned around. The frown that happened to be there turned into a big smile. Her eyes widened. Annabeth jumped up from the seat and ran towards me.

"Oh, my gods!" she exclaimed. "You're..you're here Percy!"

"Yes, I am Wise Girl. Do you really think I would miss such a..ouch, OUCH! You're hugging me a BIT too tight there." I groaned as Annabeth hugged me fiercely, in a near choking manner.

"Where..where the hell were you?" she exclaimed breaking off the hug. Annabeth had a glare on her face. "I was waiting for you the ENTIRE night!"

"I'm really sorry Annabeth. I am. I was..busy."

"Busy! Seaweed Brain, what the heck? What the hell were you busy with? On freaking Valentine's Day! Gods, how are you SO bad at punctuality! Its super bad etiquette to make a girl wait that..!"

"Annabeth, I was getting your Valentine's gift," I softly interjected.

She looked at me for a while, her gray eyes blinking. "What?"

"It's true. Here, you want to see it?" I asked as I reached into my side pocket, pulling out my Valentine's gift box. I then handed it to Annabeth.

"What..what is it Percy?" she asked.

"Open it up and you'll see!" I then watched with amusement as she quickly tore apart the wrapping, like a little kid opening his/her presents on Christmas.

"Oh. My. GODS!" she exclaimed, her face in a big smile. "Is this Sweet on America?"

"Yes, it is."

"Shoot! I haven't had this in a LONG time! Oh they're so freaking good!" she continued as she opened up the heart-shaped box. She quickly tried one of the chocolates and jelly beans. Her face erupted in a look of bliss.

"It's SO good still!" she exclaimed.

"I know. Don't eat too much though. You don't want to get a sugar rush before you dance do you Wise Girl?" I asked as she laughed. Annabeth then looked over at me.

"Wow, this is..this is AWESOME Percy! I can't thank you enough."

"Hey, it's Valentine's. No problem. Chocolate is a must-have gift for any girl, right?" I continued as she smiled. "I, um, also got you a..a rose. A white rose."

"You..you did?" I nodded my head as I then took the flower out of my handkerchief pocket and handed it to Annabeth.

"For you. Um, I..I know it's not a bouquet or anything. And it's kind of small. But it's still a really nice rose Annabeth." I continued.

"It is," she responded as she slowly took it from me. She took a while to smell and admire it ."It's..it's lovely Percy. It's..you know what? I have an idea!" Annabeth suddenly stated. She then broke the stem of the rose and grabbed one of her hair clippers. She then clipped the rose on the side of her hair, near her left ear.

"How do I look?" she asked as Annabeth began to twirl and show herself off.

"Um, you..uh.." I began, again in a daze. Wow, that white rose looked so pretty on her. Just, oh man.

 _How is that possible? For Annabeth to look MORE beautiful!_

"Uh.." I stuttered.

"I'll take that as a good sign Seaweed brain," she began, giving a smirk. I then shook my head. I smiled as well.

 _Oh man I want to dance so badly with this girl._

"Come on Wise Girl. You me. Dance Floor!"

Annabeth and I made our way to the middle. She had such an ecstatic look on her face. As she held my hand, I could feel the energy and anticipation from her body vibrating and emanating on mine.

Leo started to play a few songs from a range of genres for the rest of the time. _Mike Poser-_ _I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix)._ _One Republic - All the Right Moves._ _The Script - Breakeven._

And of course, _Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit_. Cause no school dance could be complete without Nirvana.

Next, _Guillotine_ _by Jon Bellion and Travis Mendes_ **(another shoutout to greekdemigodwannabe. I had this song on repeat for the last few days! I love the grooviness of it :) )**

"Ooo, nice song choice!" Annabeth noted as she started bopping her head.

"Mmm, yep. Leo's done a great job tonight though I hate to admit it."

Annabeth laughed as the two of us continued dancing, just moving our bodies side to side in front of each other. This was a really groovy song so it was easy to let yourself get lost in the music. In the middle, Annabeth called out to me.

"Hey Seaweed Brain, want to do another dance-off? Like at the concert? Of course, I'll WIN!" she added grinning.

I gave a little grin back at Annabeth. "Of course you would want to do a dance competition in the middle of a Valentine's Day Dance."

She chuckled. "Hey, this is also for that bowling match before! Which I would've won if it weren't for your meddling!"

I frowned. "Ugh, how do you STILL remember that?"

"Because I won."

"No I think I won if weren't for your little push." I replied, which led to some scoffing.

"You know. Let's have that dance off right now to settle it, ok? Winner gets double bragging rights!" she suddenly exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Deal!" On cue, the opening verse started to play.

Annabeth was first. She began to tap her foot lightly, letting her body move very slowly to the rhythm and feel of the slow, mystic guitar that was playing and Bellion's soft voice. She was mouthing the words, her head moving up and down a little, trying to get into the song.

Then, the chorus came.

The groovy bassline kicked in. The deep kicks, snare, and hi-hats driving the part. Bellion's voice harmonized beautifully with the hip-hop beat.

A mischievous smile started to form on Annabeth's face. She began to tap her foot faster. Her hip swaying more frequent and sharper. Her head rocking more pronounced and free. She then placed one hand on her hip and one in the air, waving them, pointing at me, nagging her finger in an almost flirtatious way. She started to twist and twirl a bit as she began singing along to the lyrics, that smile never escaping her face.

 **And if you have nightmares, we'll dance on the bed**

 **I know that you love me, love me**

 **Even when I lose my head**

 **Guillotine, guillotine**

 **Even when I lose my head**

 **Guillotine, guillotine**

 **Even when I lose my head**

Like at the concert, I stood in awe again at Annabeth as she danced in front of me. Even more so, seeing her in that beautiful dress, disco lights shining on her face, the playful easiness at which she danced, I couldn't help but sigh out loud dreamily.

 _Oh man. She's..she's great. Just absolutely...u_ _gh, I lost, again didn't I? And I haven't even started my part of the dancing._

After the chorus ended, Annabeth looked at me and smiled.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Um, you know that was not that goo..ok. Fuck. You won Wise Girl." I grumbled as she started to cheer. However, like at the concert, I started to smile as well.

 _This girl can do it all. Smart, funny, and talented._

I love her.

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

As Percy led me to the dance floor, I couldn't wipe off the big smile on my face as we started dancing. I was so thrilled. Exhilarated.

 _Just happy that Percy was finally here with me._

I was smiling even more after _Jon Bellion's_ \- _Guillotine_ song ended. Percy had just admitted defeat in a dance-off against me, to my utter joy.

 _Haha! Boom! Goodness, Percy should know better than to challenge Annabeth Chase at a dance off! He'll never learn!_

However, the microphone started to crackle, signaling that Leo was about to make an announcement.

"Ok attention gals and girls. The all awaited moment! The SLOW dance! Grab that special bae of yours and hold them close! The song that's going to be playing is _Ed Sheeran's - Thinking Out Loud_!"

I then looked over at Percy. A little grin began to appear on his face.

"Can I have this dance Annabeth?" he asked as he took my hand.

I smiled. "Hmm, I don't know. You're not going to ask the other girls first?" I joked, harkening back to our old 8th-grade dance.

"Oh haha very funny Wise Girl" Percy commented as he placed his left hand on my hips, right hand slowly clasping on to my left.

"Besides, no other girl here is as pretty as you." he added, flashing me another grin.

I tried my best to hide the redness that encompassed my face as Percy and I slowly started to sway together. Can I just say, Ed Sheeran is probably one of my favorite male artists currently? His voice is so naturally beautiful it's incredible. It's especially true for this song, his gentle, serene voice the main star of this ballad, going along with the rhythmic drums and soft guitars.

 _Thinking Out Loud_ was the perfect slow dance song.

As I Percy and I continued to dance together, I took a while to appreciate how much better Percy had gotten at slow dancing. In our middle school dance, he was extremely nervous. Tense. Awkward with his movements.

The MANY times he stepped on my foot.

I still liked the dance. _I mean it was with Percy!_

But it was quite the..experience.

However, tonight, it was different. Percy's grip was very soft and gentle on my hands and hips, his hands not sweating as much. Percy's movements were quite graceful and eloquent as he guided my body along with his across the dance floor, like a ship navigating calmly through the Pacific. Those lovely sea-green eyes and smile he enchanted on me were mesmerizing.

 _Is..is this the same Percy I danced with before? No way. Is it?_

"Wow, you're..you're really good now Seaweed Brain!" I commented as we kept dancing.

"Really?" he said, smiling.

"Yeah! For one, you're not stepping on my foot. That's a big plus."

"Well don't jinx it Annabeth," he replied as I chuckled. "Um, I.. I actually practiced with Piper a bit beforehand. Hence why I was late coming to the dance."

"Really?" I asked. "Oh, so THAT explains why Piper was so giggly when she came back from outside to see me."

Percy frowned. "Piper oh Piper." he moaned. In the far right, I could see Pipes from the corner of my eyes, head resting against Jason. She gave me a thumbs up and smile as she saw the two of us.

I wanted to moan like Percy but I didn't. _I_ _was really enjoying this dance._

All of a sudden, Percy put his right arm up and twirled me in my spot. Like a skater on ice, my body started to spin on spot, Percy maneuvering me expertly.

I immediately started to giggle and laugh. He then looked down at me as I looked on at Percy, stunned.

"Ok whoa! WHOA! What..where..how.. did you just do THAT?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Um, that's called a twirl Annabeth, right?"

"Yeah! I..I didn't know you could do that move!" I continued, looking at Percy with amazement.

"Um, actually that was my first time attempting that move. I wanted to do it with Piper but she was a big no. Do..do you want me to do that again?"

 _Yes, yes! That was so great! That was..wait, that was just lucky! Beginner's luck._

 _But still, that was SO amazing._

"Um, I guess I'll do it again Annabeth." he smiled, taking my hesitation as a thumbs up as he twirled me again, now with the left arm.

Again, I started to laugh and giggle.

"Ok, ok enough now Percy!" I responded.

"You know, this is really fun actually!" Percy exclaimed as he twirled me back and forth, alternating from the right and left side. Each twirl I started to giggle, my body fluttering. I think I might've been a bit dizzy but I didn't care one bit.

 _It was so much fun!_

"Stop it Percy! Stop!" I yelped after what felt like the millionth twirl.

 _Actually, don't._

For the rest of the time, we continued to dance with one another, Percy extremely close to me. I could feel his infectious aura radiating on my skin. The molecules in my body seemed like they were about to burst any moment with bliss as we slow danced.

However, unfortunately, the song came to an end.

I got really sad, frown visible.

 _No..that was such a great slow dance..._

"Alright, guys!" Leo announced "Hope you enjoyed that slow dance! I think it got a little frisky here, didn't it?"

There was some laughter from the audience.

"Anyways, unfortunately, our night is coming to an end soon. But you all have been great! DJ Leo LOVES YOU!. If you want, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat.."

"LEO! Just finish your set!" Jason then yelled from the back.

"Ok, sorry. Anyways, the very last song is VERY special request from a good friend of mine. _Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child,"_ There were cheers from the students as the song started to play.

My mouth opened as the beginning piano began to play.

 _No way. That..that was the same last song they played in our Vicetone concert._

I looked up at Percy, who was trying his best not to smile. He was doing a bad job though.

"Um, yeah, someone might've picked that Annabeth. A really freaking cool person with great music tastes." he nonchalantly stated, giving a shrug.

I broke out into a wide grin.

 _Goodness, Seaweed Brain is SO good at surprises!_

"We should dance again, huh?" I then asked as I calmly grabbed his hand, barely able to contain my anticipation for this beautiful song.

For the first moments, Percy and I were rocking back and forth together. Like during the concert, I rested my back against Percy's chest, just allowing him to dictate my movements.

When the drop came, we and the entire dance floor lost it.

Then the second verse.

 **There was a time, I met a girl of a different kind**

 **We ruled the world, I thought I'll never lose her out of sight**

 **We were so young, I think of her now and then**

 **I still hear the songs reminding me of a friend**

Reflecting on those lyrics, I started to think back to the concert, where Percy had, in the middle, came and kissed me on the forehead, so randomly.

I remember feeling so euphoric and wholesome. Carefree. I felt a little high like I was on Mt. Olympus.

 _I felt like I was so in love with him at that moment._

Almost by instinct, I then turned around and started to rest my head against Percy's chest, snuggling against him, for the rest of the verse and song, not dancing. I was enjoying his warm and tactile embrace against my body. So many happy memories began to play. All of the shit that happened in my life with my dad, boyfriend. Elementary and middle school.

 _My..my mom I never knew._

It felt so meaningless and inconsequential at that very moment as I continued to be next to Percy, just swaying and dancing with him.

 _I love Percy so freaking much._

Throughout the song, Percy continued to let me rest my head on him, giving me a soft smile every now and then. Eventually, nearing the final drop, Percy looked down at me, a full smile present.

"Annabeth did I ever tell you that you look so beautiful tonight?" he started.

I returned his beautiful smile. "And you look really handsome Percy." I responded.

Percy grinned. He then started to frown a bit. "Annabeth, look, I'm..I'm sorry that I didn't come earlier. I wanted to make tonight perfect with your gift, the flowers, the dancing. I just hope you had a good.."

"Percy.." I softly interrupted. "Tonight is perfect. Everything's perfect. I'm having an amazing night." I told him." as I slowly put my finger on his lips.

Eventually, slowly but surely the song came to an end. The whole place erupted in a collective cheer. Yet, there was a clear, subtle disappointmen present. No one wanted this Valentine's moment to end.

 _I never wanted it to._

"Okay guys, sorry that's the end!" Leo then said. "Hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day Dance. I really had a great time. Again, you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter,.."

"Leo!" the whole audience groaned.

He gave a moan. "Ugh, fine. Now, we still have the little issue of Valentine's King and Queen!" he announced, getting some oohs from the crowd.

"Calypso results please!" he asked as she then went up and handed Leo a sealed envelope.

"Thank you very much, my dear lady!"

In the middle, Percy turned to me. "You're going to win Annabeth," he stated, giving me a little pat on the back.

"How do you know?" I asked giving a quizzical look

"I don't. But I know you'll win. Just watch."

I gave Percy a nudge as Leo slowly opened the envelope. In typical Leo fashion, he tried to make it as dramatic as possible, taking his sweet time. If he were any slower, Silena would've probably knocked him out.

"Ok, and the winner of the CHB Valentine's King and Queen competition is...drum real please!" he started, mimicking some snare sounds.

"Annabeth Chase and Luke Castellan!"

I looked towards the front, stunned, as I heard my name being spoken out loud, in front of the whole school, as they announced that I had won the Valentine's Day Competition. Everyone started to look over at me and cheer.

 _What..I..I won?_

It eventually took Percy's light tap on my shoulder to bring me back to reality.

"Annabeth, you won." he softly said. "Like I said you would," he added, giving me a sarcastic grin.

"Oh..oh my..OH MY GODS!" I yelled as I rushed towards the front to the DJ booth, overcome with emotion.

"I..I WON!" I repeated, not believing it myself.

Leo proceeded to call me up, about to place the tiara on my forehead. Luke was beside me, giving a mischievous smirk, as Calypso then put the crown on him. Drew was below, that stupid smile of her's present as she gazed up at Luke. But I didn't give two shits at that point.

Heck, I fucking won the _Valentine's competition!_

"Annabeth, oh my goodness, you won! Miss Princess, you freaking won!" Piper exclaimed, coming over and giving me a big hug as we both started to laugh.

"Hey, congrats!" Rachel and Hazel both said, patting me on the back.

Silena was in the back though, away from the girls, giving me a hard stare, arms crossed. She had an angry look on her face as she looked on at me.

However, I knew it was just an act. I could see the little grin, though small, present on her face. She was pacing up and down like Silena usually does when she was excited about something.

"Well, then. You won Annabeth.." Silena started as she slowly went towards me. "I must congratulate you on a hard fought competition. Good job. Um, you have also won a Sephora gift card, which I hope you use..wisely. If I may recommend, you should get this perfume brand.."

"Oh stop the act Silena! Come here you!" I exclaimed in the middle as I gave her a big hug. Silena's fake anger quickly faded, replaced with genuine happiness as she returned my hug.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you Annabeth! You deserve this girl!" she shrieked.

"Thanks so much girls! I just..I can't..wow!" I began, at a complete loss for words.

Suddenly, I thought of one person.

 _Percy._

Where was he? I needed to go and find him! I needed to share this moment with him!

I looked down from the booth, on the dancefloor, trying to find Percy.

 _Not there._

I continued to scan the entirety of the gym, my gray eyes focused on finding his sea green eyes. I soon found Percy. He was now in the back, near the exit, looking on. He had a big smile on his face. He looked so merry and content, happy at the fact that I won Valentine's Queen.

"Percy! Hey, come here! Percy!" I exclaimed, shouting as loud as possible. I was about to go down to go after him when, all of a sudden, Jake Mason stopped me.

"Hey, Annabeth. Sorry but I need to get a photo of you and Luke together."

"But I need to.."

"Just a quick photo of the two of you for the school paper and bulletin board. Also, don't you want to take pictures with the other Valentine dancers?" he added as Jake dragged me towards the side. The last glimpse I saw of Percy was him exiting the gymnasium, smile still present.

* * *

 **Love**

 **(Percy POV)**

Outside, standing in the empty parking lot, I looked on at the iconic New York City skyline, taking in the lovely nighttime view. Behind me, Valentine's dance, though "over", was far from it. The kids continued to hang around outside, laughing, joking, making out. All my friends were still inside, chatting and dancing still, as they continued to enjoy the final concluding hours of Valentine's Day.

A light and pleasant breeze began to drift in as I continued to stand, my foot kicking some rocks here and there, as I began to reflect back to my whole night.

I took out my checklist and checked off two boxes.

 _Slow dance with Annabeth._

 _See Annabeth win the Valentine's Queen competition._

A grin formed on my face as I started think back to the moment that they announced Annabeth won. The look of absolute shock and thrill on her face was so pure and incredible. I would never be able to forget that picture-perfect moment. A little daze overtook her, mind temporary removed from reality, Annabeth not believing she won.

 _You did Annabeth! You fucking did._

Of course, how did I know she will win? Well, I didn't, of course. But, knowing that amazing girl, I knew for sure from the very start Annabeth would win.

 _I just knew it._

For the rest of the time, I continued to contemplate, enjoying my quiet time. I started to think ahead to my final to-do item to accomplish.

The whole purpose of tonight.

 _Tell Annabeth I loved her._

Suddenly, a person then jumped on top of me, tackling me in a big hug. The person was laughing and giggling hysterically. I felt the person's curly blond hair rub against my face, strong amazing scent of strawberry perfume titillating my nose. Soft, sleek dress rubbing against my skin.

I started to smile.

It was Annabeth.

"Oh, hey you." I began as Annabeth got off me, still laughing. She then proceeded to hug me tightly again.

"Percy! Oh, my gods. I..can't...what..wait..holy shit!"

"I'm guessing you won the competition, right?" I continued, grinning.

"Oh, my gods Percy! I can't believe I won! I can't freaking believe it!" she managed, breaking off my hug and looking straight at me. For the first time after winning the award, Annabeth formed a coherent sentence.

"Yes, you did Annabeth." I softly stated, continuing to smile. "I'm..I'm really happy and proud of you" I continued. I took a while to stare at Annabeth, admiring her beauty, the little tiara on her head, that amazing green dress. A little breeze began to kick in, blowing Annabeth's hair to the side.

It amazed me that this was the same girl I met before back in seventh grade. The girl who was unconfident about herself. Unsure of her skills and abilities. Unsure about her own looks even.

Now she's the high school Valentine's Queen. The confident, incredible, talented, _beautiful_ Valentine's Queen.

 _Tell her you love her._

"Um Annabeth." I began, clearing my throat. I looked away her, unsure of how to continue.

"Can I..can I talk to you about something?" I managed.

"You wanna talk about how you absolutely kicked ass in slow dancing Seaweed Brain?" she exclaimed giving me a smile. "Gods, you were so fucking good! All that twirling, moving, rocking; I think I'm going to sign you up for Dancing with the Stars!"

I gave a little laugh, though uneasy. "Um, sure Annabeth. I'll be looking forward to cha-cha-ing with David Hasselhoff."

Annabeth laughed. Annabeth then put her hands in front of her, smile still present, her beautiful gray eyes looking at me expectantly. I continued to look down away from her, not sure if I should go about doing this.

 _If you don't ask, how will you ever know if she loves you?_

"Annabeth." I finally said, looking up at her.

"I'm in love with you."

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

"I'm in love with you."

As I was at the front of the DJ booth, getting my tiara, I was so overwhelmed with emotion.

 _Valentine's Queen! I was named fucking Valentine's Queen!_

I was so happy. Joyous. Exuberant. My first ever Valentine's Dance and I'm named freaking queen! I remember all my friends coming around, congratulating and hugging me, ecstatic. Luke was also smiling at me. The entire time I had to stay to take pictures, which was semi-annoying. I think I might've been blinded a bit by all the flash photography.

But I didn't care one bit.

However, throughout, I had one person I really wanted to see.

 _Percy._

I needed to see Percy! My amazing, awesome, incredible best friend!

I ended up finding him outside, staring off into the horizon, a look of contemplation on him. I then sneakily went up behind Percy and jumped on top of him, giving him a big hug.

"Oh, hey you!" he responded as I laughed.

"Percy! Oh, my gods. I..can't...what..wait..holy shit!" I started, slurring my words.

 _Yeah, I was excited but who wouldn't be? I won Valentine's Queen!_

"I'm guessing you won, right?" he continued, continuing to smile.

"Oh, my gods Percy! I can't believe I won! I can't freaking believe it!" I then managed, forming an actual sentence for once.

"I'm..I'm really happy for you," Percy responded, giving me an amazing smile. His smile than faded. He then looked at me and gave a serious look.

"Annabeth, can I..can I talk to you about something?"

"You wanna talk about how you absolutely kicked ass in slow dancing Seaweed Brain? I responded, grinning massively.

He gave a little laugh. However, there was still some uneasiness on his face. He was looking away from me.

 _Like so many times before._

However, Percy than looked up at me, looking straight me in the eyes. In a soft but firm voice, he slowly said,

"I'm in love with you,"

At first, I thought Percy was joking, saying "I love you".

 _Of course, he loves me, duh! Percy's my best friend! I love him too._

However, as I continued to look on at him, his eyes still looking intently into mines, I realized that Percy meant it in a different manner.

 _No, he means loves you loves you Annabeth._

Percy loves me.

"Percy.."

"Annabeth, I lied before about my crush." Percy continued, his eyes now looking down, sighing out loud. "I still have feelings for you. I still love you. I..I know I should've told you this from before but I just..couldn't. I'm sorry if you feel weird at me telling you this but I just needed to.. "

"Percy" I then interjected, still in a dazed state, trying to process what he just told me.

Yet I couldn't.

"What are you doing?"

Percy stared at me for a while. His eyes assumed a pleading look to them. His expression read:

 _Do_. _you love me back Annabeth?_

"Um.." I began, taking in a deep breath. _The question that I kept avoiding for most of my life._

"Percy I..I.." I started, my lips struggling to form words.

"I can't Percy." I told him, looking down. "I..I can't be with you. I'm sorry."

"Okay.." he painfully replied, exhaling, as he looked away.

"But Percy, you need to understand how much you mean to me!" I then added, putting my arm on him. "You mean SO much to me Percy!"

"Annabeth.." Percy slowly replied, eyes closed, wincing as he heard my words.

"But it's true! You're special to me Percy! I love your friendship a lot!"

"Annabeth please.." he reiterated, his voice getting louder and louder.

"I don't know what I would do without your friendship Percy. I really don't know what I would..."

"ANNABETH, I'M NEVER GOING TO LOOK AT YOU AS JUST A FRIEND!" Percy suddenly exclaimed, his sea-green eyes fierce, expression hard. Percy was breathing heavily, his chest rising up and down. He had a pained look on his face, emotions flowing.

"Annabeth, I'm always going to look at you as more than just a friend! I'm always going to want to be MORE than your friend! I'm..I'm not going to stop..loving you, ever." he continued, hard expression present throughout his tirade, voice drifting off in the end.

"I..I.."

I didn't doubt at all that Percy loved me. I could feel it. He did love me.

And I knew for a fact that I was in love with Percy. _Deep in love._ My feelings I had for him were strong.

Stronger than I felt for anyone.

I wanted to be with Percy. _I really did._

But hearing Percy say he loved me, I couldn't help but think back to when my own dad said he loved me.

 _"Annabeth, I love you, dear,"_ he would tell me when I was young before I went to school. Track practice. Bed.

I loved my dad. I really did. But suddenly he just left me when I was young, only 7.

I remember how hurt and pained I felt when he did that. How rejected I felt that the person who said he loved me just went away. When dad canceled his weekend trip on me again, those same feelings I felt when I was young came back.

It was the same with Luke when he threatened to break up with me. To reject me.

Leave me.

So many times I've been told by people in the past that I loved that they loved me, only to be put off and left alone.

I..I was scared. I was afraid again of feeling rejected.

 _I didnt know if the love between Percy and I would be..permanent. If it would last._

And I didn't want to test it.

"I can't Percy. I'm really sorry," I slowly answered, trying to fight back my emotions. "It's not your fault Percy! This is NOT your fault! It's me that can't love you. You have to understand that!" I told him, grabbing his hand.

There were some tears forming in Percy's eyes as he looked away, to the distance behind me. He quickly tried to wipe them away with his fingers, trying to hide them.

But I caught them.

 _Oh no.._

Eventually, Percy cleared his throat, looking at me. He wiped a few more tears that appeared as he started to speak, in a low and hard voice.

"It's okay Annabeth. It's not your fault. I guess I mistook our .. _special_ friendship," he responded as he turned around, walking away from me.

"Percy no!"

* * *

 **(Percy POV)**

Gods it fucking hurts to be rejected.

As I walked away from Annabeth, some more tears began to escape my eyes as I trudged on, replaying the simple yet so fucking hurtful words she told me.

 _I can't Percy. I'm sorry._

 _It's me that can't love you_

Why was I crying? Annabeth said no! That's it. It's done!

But it wasn't just that. I loved this girl. Annabeth was the only girl I ever and would have feelings for. The only person I truly really loved in life.

 _And she said no to me._

"Percy no!" Annabeth exclaimed as she went after me. I tried walking a bit faster, trying to ignore her repeated cries and voice.

"Percy please wait!" she repeated as she began to walk faster.

I continued to ignore her.

 _I wanted to ignore her._

"Percy!"

I then turned around and threw my arms around Annabeth as she was close to me. I proceeded to put my lips against hers and kiss her.

My body began to explode with euphoria. My brain felt like it was going to melt. Gods, Annabeth's luscious lips were just as beautiful as I remembered them from before; warm, soft, and tender. I would never be able to kiss another girl again without thinking of Annabeth. My eyes were closed the entire time, savoring the kiss, but I allowed myself to open them for a while and stare at Annabeth.

My goodness, her face looked more radiant than ever before. Every little part of her seemed more magnified. The cute little nose I kissed on New Years. Her beautiful hair strands that I slowly removed from her face when she was crying about her dad. The beautiful cheeks that I loved to peck.

Any "imperfections" that might have been present on Annabeth's face, completely gone.

She looked perfect.

 _Goddess-like._

I continued to kiss Annabeth deeply, putting all the emotions I had into it; all the worry, care, and love I harbored for this girl. All the pent-up feelings that I kept suppressed for all these years.

 _I love Annabeth..._

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

"Percy no!"

I hurriedly walked after Percy as he walked away from me, not turning back.

"Percy please wait!" I cried again. No response.

"Percy!"

Suddenly, Percy proceeded to turn around and put his arms around my body. He then put his lips on mine and kissed me.

I stood there, shocked, as Percy continued to kiss me, deeply, for the rest of the time. My body began to tingle. My insides started to churn and explode. His lips were just as salty like before, which I liked. His lips seemed to fit the caricature of my lips so perfectly.

The rational part of me began to say not to kiss him. That I had a boyfriend! He was only my friend.

 _I didn't want to love him.._

However, I ignored it. My body, emotions began to give in. My brain stopped calculating. I stopped worrying. By impulse, I then placed both of my hands on the side of Percy's face and started to kiss him back, deeply.

We continued to kiss for what felt like an eternity, our lips refusing to move away, plastered to each other like they were meant to be that way. Eventually, slowly, our lips departed from one another, though we didn't want them and I then stared at each other, both of us unfamiliar with the other person in front of us. With the friend that we've known since 12. My hands were laced into his, gray eyes looking deeply and intently at Percy's sea-green.

He looked so handsome at the very moment.

 _Like a god almost._

Eventually, after a long moment of silence, Percy let out a sigh and laugh.

"Gods, Annabeth, you have NO fucking idea how badly I wanted to kiss you during New Years," he told me giving me a beautiful grin.

"Yeah, I..I wanted you to." I softly replied as I continued to look at him, my brain still trying to process everything, hands still laced in his. Eventually, after a long moment of silence, Percy went near me again, about to kiss me for another time.

I wanted him to. I REALLY did. However, that part of me began that I wanted to let go cried out.

 _I don't want to fall in love with him. I can't feel rejected again..._

"Percy, I .. I can't." I slowly repeated, looking away from him. Percy looked at me for a while. Eventually, Percy turned around, not looking back.

"I need to go now Annabeth," he quickly said. He unlaced his hands from my hands and took off.

"Percy, please. Don't..don't leave me!" I called out to him. However, he was already off, far away in the distance, the only sight of him left his luxurious jet black hair blowing in the wind.

"Hey, there she is! The Valentine's Queen!" Luke called out from behind. He then went up to me and gave me a little kiss on the cheek.

"How are you doing Annabeth? Haha! Told you that you would win Valentine's Queen with me on your side!" he began, grinning.

"Y..yeah." However, the award didn't matter anymore. Being named Queen, nothing.

All I could think of was one thing and one thing only.

 _Percy. Don't leave me._

* * *

 **Decision**

 **(Percy POV)**

As I went down the street, heading towards the subway subway, I looked at my checklist again.

 _Tell Annabeth I love her._

I then ripped up the sheet and angrily threw it away. I started to sigh and breathe deeply. A few more tears began to drop, as much I didn't want them to.

 _I made a move on her. I told Annabeth my feelings. And Annabeth said no. That's it. She said no to me._

I was about to replay back what happened before but I couldn't; picturing Annabeth felt painful now. Even the mere thought of her felt painful. Just her name..painful.

 _I couldn't go on seeing her! I could never look at Annabeth the same again. She would never look at me the same way again._

 _I can't._

In my mix of thoughts, my phone buzzed. I then picked up to see who it was.

It was a text from dad.

 _Dad: Hey Percy! Happy Valentine's Day from your old pops. Hope you spending it with a girl. Er, I'm not, unfortunately. But it's cool! I'm playing some cards with Ares and Apollo. And I'm totally fine that! I'm totally..I fucking HATE those two!_

Though I still felt hurt, I couldn't help but crack a little smile as I looked at my dad's text message. From the very start, dad always wanted me to move with him to Washington DC, even though I didn't want to.

 _Because of Annabeth._

I began to think back to our conversation, during Christmas, when my dad told me that his place was always open if I ever wanted to move.

 _Always give me a call or text son!_

As I thought back to my interaction with Annabeth, my body began to become overwhelmed with hurt and heartbreak again.

 _I couldn't see Annabeth again. I just couldn't._

I then launched my message app and pressed my dad's contact name. I took a deep breath before I sent my message.

I made a decision.

* * *

 **This was such an emotional chapter to write, especially at the end. I admittedly cried a bit. FYI: the ending was semi-inspired by "The Office" episode Casino night when Jim told Pam he loved her.**

 **Please don't hate Annabeth for rejecting Percy. She does love him, a lot, very clearly.** **And wants to be with Percy.**

 **It's her experiences with love from before that have all been bad. With people said to her that they loved her.** **As we saw with her dad in the story, Luke, Annabeth's afraid the same thing will happen again. This sort of rejection and feeling of being "left alone" (explaining why she keeps denying these feelings and putting them off)** **She needs to develop herself and come to terms with the fact that this love with Percy is different from the rest.** **The next chapters are going to develop Annabeth.**

 **I'm expecting to upload Chapter 16 after Christmas and before the year ends hopefully. Enjoy the holiday for those who celebrate it! My family personally doesn't. But I can still enjoy Christmas, especially the tv specials and movies. I've been rewatching some of my childhood favorites; _The Polar Express_ and _Arthur's Perfect Christmas._ Comment on some more if you some for me. The gods knows I need a destresser in my life. **

**Again, hope you spend Christmas with those you love a lot. Always remember; tell those that mean a lot to you in life that they are special.** **It's never a wrong time to do that, especially on Christmas.**

 **-FrictionFiction108**


	16. Christmas Message Update

**(A/N: Sorry for this weird update. I don't like doing these sort things often but felt it was important to let you all know what I'm about to say)**

Hey everyone! Merry Christmas for those who celebrate the holiday and I hope this message finds you well! Hope ya'll are enjoying yourselves and are with your loved ones.

And of course received some awesome presents :P.

I want to apologize all if Chapter 15 felt like a downer chapter. I didn't mean to release it prior to Christmas; I had scheduled that chapter to be released a while back when I planned it all out but unfortunate school, personal, work stuff, and a badly timed illness did not allow me to do that.

So apologies again. I really hope all your Christmas holiday was great!

As stated before, I hope to be updating another chapter prior to the New Year. Unfortunately, I am working over the break (and on Christmas in the evening unfortunately. Oh man.. :( )

So I'm not sure if I will have the time to be able to update again.

If I don't update again before the New Year, enjoy the New Year!

I mean for this update chapter to be a chance to respond to some reviews, especially guest, of the last chapter if I don't see you all prior to 2018. And I wanted to because there were some great reviews.

Some special shoutouts to Guest (Swirly Melodies who happens to proclaim that he/she my # 1 fan :P) and OliviaYT. You're reviews were so freaking awesome I loved them.

Also Percabeth824 in my PMs with her (don't worry I won't share those messages :P).

You're all so awesome.

And of course, thanks to all my lovely readers :).

* * *

 **Review Responses (between sometimes I do sometimes respond to people's reviews in PMs but I do like to respond to them again if people who happen to be reading the reviews express similar opinions):**

 **Guest (Swirly Melodies):**

Gods, let me tell you, I was working late Saturday night. And I was feeling quite down and tired. Reading this review that night made me smile so widely when I saw it. I felt like I was taking a shot of ambrosia. I'm so happy you love the story :)

I'm glad you think the plot and presentation of characters were great. As stated before, I'm new to this love genre. I'm, by heart, a humor writer. Love and emotional stories I really would not consider a strong suit of mine (you all reading this are probably going _is this guy serious?_ lol).

So it really means a lot that you thought this story was great. This story has been more emotional than I ever anticipated to be.

More on the plot; Chapter 15 was the culmination of all the previous chapters combined. It would not have been possible w/o all the other previous chapter and development. Further, I'm glad you enjoy my interpretation of Rachel and Luke. It's true that I could have made both of them mean and evil characters, Rachel especially. Other fanfic authors do which I'm 50/50 on (it's fanfic so you have leeway). But it feels disingenuous to her character. Rachel has a great/interesting character in the books and I want to keep it that way.

Drew, though, she's the b-word. But maybe she can change. Possibly. Maybe. Somewhat. A little. Very faint chance... eh, I don't know.`

Admittedly, it's quite harder and cumbersome to write if Percy/Rachel do like each other then if Rachel is just a b*tchy personality. But, in the end, it helps to strengthen Percabeth's bond. Percy does like Rachel but he has deeper, stronger feelings for Annabeth. And Rachel realizes that throughout the story, prompting that mutual breakup.

Also, I'm really appreciative of the fact that you understand how much time and effort I put into the story. And I'm also touched you feel this story is under-viewed. Admittedly,when I look around and read other fanfics with lesser word counts but with more reviews/follows/interest it seems like, I do wonder why I might not get the same.

Please don't misinterpret that (or any reading this) as I feeling entitled to more views/follows/reviews. Absolutely not! Like anything in life, you gotta earn everything. Plus, I should be thankful that I have just one follow or review when other fanfics of possibly higher quality might not even get the fraction of attention I'm getting. I'm thankful for each single review/follow/fav I get!

It's just that I'm really passionate about the story and do spend sometimes hours/even days on single chapters. And the fact that seemingly I don't get a lot of interest on it is somewhat discouraging. Admittedly, a little..hurtful.

Sorry if this sounds kind of selfish and petty if I'm complaining about not getting enough follows or reviews, considering I get like 117 reviews and 128 follows, which I can only DREAM of when I started. It's just that I want to be honest with everyone about how I feel and things that are bothering me, like this issue. It's just..sometimes I wonder if I'm doing something wrong when I spend hours/days on a chapter and upload and then not garner, seemingly, a lot of interest.

However, in the end, I think what matters is that I continue to have fans/follows who appreciate and love the work I do _**(OliviaYT helped to point this out to me. I LOVE ya gurl :P)** . _And that really is all that matters in the end.

Plus, I do need to take a step back and ask myself why am I writing and continue to write everytime I open a Word Doc? For the follows/reviews or because I love this story? Because I want to be popular on fanfic or because I like the characters, settings, and plot I built for the story?

That I actually ENJOY writing?

And, in the end, I want that answer to be because I love to write and I love this story. And, like many of you do, I want to see the end of this journey of Percabeth and see through this relationship.

But it means so much to me when people continue to review and point out their gratitude for how much work and time I put into the story. Thank you so much Swirly Melodies and I love ya!

 **OliviaYT:**

I already responded to your review in a PM but I just want to point out how awesome and amazing you are! You've been with this story since the beginning and I'm so touched you still continue to follow it and make it part of your life!

I love ya!

 **Percabeth824:**

Man, your reviews always make me smile girl. I love that you always take your personal time and effort to always review my chapters regardless of things you're doing in your personal life. Like I said, you're one of my top followers and I always anticipate and wait for your lovely reviews.

Hope your Christmas is going swell. Also, good luck on your stories that you're planning to write!

 **greekdemigodwannabe:**

Thanks for the review and that song lists! I just wanted to take this time to just give a mention that she has a Spotify account by the name of carolinemiller99 as she mentioned in her review. Definitely, go and check it out if you want to be enlightened with some awesome music tastes like I was :)

Sorry if this shoutout feels weird but I want people to go on there. Prepare to have some new followers because of me. Mwahaha!

Sorry lol.

 **paintball331:**

Sorry for the slow-burn nature of the story. I'm planning to update one more chapter before New Years but if I can't, I'll see you next year!

 **888:**

Glad you love this story!

 **Lia:**

So happy you love this story!

 **greenvines:**

Oh, gods. I feel sorry so bad for Percy too. I haven't dealt with a rejection (since I never before and will never have the courage to ask out a girl in my life lol) but I can just imagine the heartbreak Percy's going through.

However, I think the most heartbreaking line for me was when Annabeth told Percy that it was her that can't love him even though she clearly does. That's the most sad part for me. Also, when she yells "don't leave me" as Percy's running off.

I'm tearing up a bit just thinking about it.

I'm glad you liked the story and I hope to have the next chapter before New Year. If not, I'll see you next year and hope you're enjoying your Christmas holiday if you celebrate it.

 **amazingAwesomeness:**

I sent a PM previously. However, it's quite touching to know so many people are vested in the story to the point of making them cry. I was crying too everyone not joking.

Also, that petition? You can send it to me and I don't mind. I think I deserve it.

 **MasterTrident:**

As stated in my PM, I do agree with your rants about Riordan. He's a great author but his work quality has diminished a bit as time goes on, especially Magnus Chase, which I haven't read apart from that cute Percabeth scene in the final book.

I'm sorry if any other reader doesn't agree with my viewpoint and I mean no disrespect/offense to you or to Riordan. Like I said, he is a great author and I love PJO and parts of HOO (the characters, general plot idea, Percabeth's journey through Tartarus) but overall, the series, especially Blood of Olympus, was a little letdown. Also, that final battle scene?

OH GODS!

If I can defeat the Earth goddess that easily, wowzers.

Anyways, hope you're having a great holiday in England! Cheers from your friend in the U.S! :)

 **Benjabay:**

Thank! So glad you liked the story. Hope you continue to follow it.

 **Reviewer1:**

Thank you for those words! Glad you liked my music tastes as well.

 **DOAWOTA:**

Really sorry if this story seems like a slow-burn (it is). But we're exploring Percy and Annabeth, Annabeth especially, characters. And when the two get together, hopefully, the wait will be worth it for you.

 **jjseas2003:**

Really happy you think my writing is amazing. That means so much to me to hear those words.


	17. Chapter 16- Memories and Flashbacks

**Happy 2018 everyone. Hope y'all enjoyed your New Years Eve!**

 **Thank you for the reviews last two chapters, which were quite touching. Wow, people really were crying over the end scene? I never realized how emotionally attached readers were to this story and Percabeth. Um, sorry lol :/ (awkward me trying to be more sympathetic).**

 **Also some user story mentions. Want to give a little shoutout to Percabeth824 on her cute Percabeth fanfic "100 Days of Summer", which she recently began to update again. Gl gurl! Hope you continue writing and wish you only the best. A** **lso, ArtemisNewHunter/Violet who said that she has been working on her own fanfic. Hope you do great Violet!**

 **A/N:** **There will be more characters introduced from the PJO series.** **And a little shoutout to MasterTrident, who asked a long time ago whether a certain Roman demigod girl from Camp Jupiter would appear. And I had been vague about it (hehe :D) for the past 2/3 months.**

 **Well, there will be an answer to that finally.**

 **A/N: Forgive me for any typos. I'm just a mortal, really bad at grammar and punctuation guy :).**

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - Memories and Reflections**

 **New Realities**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

I found out that Percy moved.

Percy had not come to school the day after Valentine's dance. I couldn't really say I was surprised or taken aback. The night before, Percy had admitted that he had a crush on me.

Still.

That he was in love with me.

I remember staring at Percy in a daze. My brain not being able to process what he said. Those words he uttered foreign, unfamiliar as if I had dyslexia and couldn't understand what they meant even if they were written down and in plain sight.

 _Percy's in love with me._

Did I have some suspicions that Percy might've had feelings towards me from before? Kind of. I ... I mean, throughout our long friendship, Percy enjoyed spending more time with me than with other girls. And while dating Rachel, Percy continually found time to hang out with me, going to the Thanksgiving Day balloon event, Vicetone concert, skating.

It was clear Percy found me attractive as well; he's called me hot, pretty before (though honestly, I think it was just Seaweed Brain being Seaweed Brain).

 _Most beautiful girl in the world._

But I never seriously took those suspicions. I put them off, amounting them to other things or factors.

 _Or maybe I was ignoring them._

I ended up saying no to Percy. It wasn't that I didn't love him. I ... I DID love Percy.

 _A lot._

And I knew for sure I had feelings for him. _S_ _trong ones. Probably since we were both young._

But hearing those simple, yet riveting words, "I love you", escape his mouth brought back memories of the same ones being told by my dad when I was young, only for him to leave. Luke, yet countless times stating was about to break up with me.

Mom.

People.. who've uttered the same phrase.

Yet I never felt they were true. I never felt that ... love.

I didn't want to feel the same hurt again as I experienced. I didn't know whether our love would last. Whether it was strong.

 _Permanent..._

I was scared. And in that fear, I said no to Percy.

Ever since that night I haven't called or texted him. What was I supposed to say? After I rejected Percy? That I wanted this friendship of ours to remain? That he just ignore those feelings and remain my best friend?

 _That no matter how much I really wanted to, I...I couldn't bring myself to love Percy back._

I couldn't.

It was then Grover who gave me news Friday that Percy had moved to Washington D.C to live with his dad. For a while, I looked at Grover, not fully comprehending what he said. The magnitude of his statement. I almost wanted to laugh out of disbelief, sort of _haha, you're joking Grover! Very funny. He'll show up soon for school. Percy couldn't be gone!_

He couldn't be...

It then registered as I was in creative writing class, staring at an empty, vacant seat next to my desk.

 _Percy...Percy is gone._

Over the weekend, I decided to break up with Luke. It had come as quite a shock to everyone, Luke especially. We had just won Valentine's King and Queen together. And our relationship was seemingly on good terms after that altercation during bowling.

It was just.. that relationship wasn't going anywhere. I realized that I...I didn't..I needed...

 _I loved_...

The point was I had to get out of it soon!

I spent the rest of the weekend musing over Valentine's dance, which had been so great at first. Incredible. Magical, as I knew it would be. Percy had looked so handsome and sleek, with his blue suit, dress shirt, tie complimenting his simple yet eye-catching physique. It always puzzled me that Percy always felt he was not good looking. I always contended he was absolutely dead wrong and Valentine's night proved it.

I never thought things in the world were perfect but Percy looked and was perfect to me.

I thought back to the little moments I shared with Percy. My dance-off with him. (which I won of course). The slow dance, which was graceful and so much fun (it still puzzled me that this was the same Percy I had danced with in middle school) The last song Percy and I shared together, where I spent it resting my head on Percy's chest, snuggling close to him, enjoying Percy's warmth and closeness, feeling so at ease and happy during the waning moments of Valentine's Day.

However, none of those things seemed to matter. Now, the only thoughts that rummaged through my mind were my last conversation with Percy, each word, action, _the emotion_ I could remember to the littlest detail. The kiss we shared, the tingling effects I could still feel now. That kiss so vividly indebted to my memory, playing on loop. The last touch of Percy his soft, gentle hands as they were laced into mines. The last sight of him his jet black hair blowing in the wind as he turned and left, sea green eyes not looking back at me, tears escaping them.

For once I wish I didn't have such great recollection.

I was sad of course when I found out Percy left. Who wouldn't be? My best friend was gone. A friend I've known, looked up to,and spent most of my time with since I was 12.

And it's natural to feel sad when someone that means a lot to you leaves.

 _Someone you ... you love a lot._

But I got over it quickly! It's..it's ok! That's just a part of life, right? I mean, my dad moved away when I was only 7. When I broke up with Luke, I felt down. And I never knew my mom at all.

People I were close with. Left.

People move all the time. They move forward. It's just an unfortunate part of life. And Percy had mentioned before that his dad wanted him to move to Washington. I couldn't blame Percy if all of a sudden he felt an urge to move.

It's just what it is.

And that's fine! Totally fine. I still have my other friends. Piper, Hazel, Silena, Rachel, the guys. And Percy is still my friend, right? I'll eventually talk to him. Call. Send some annoying text messages late at night like I usually do.

Everything's going to be alright. I'm okay.

It was now Monday morning. Today, my school had a half-day as winter break was this week. Waking up, I made my way to the bathroom to shower and do my hair. Exiting, I went to my drawer trying to find something to wear. Scouring through my assortment of clothes, I stopped as I came across one shirt in particular.

A Yankees t-shirt.

 _The one Percy gave me when I slept over his house._

I paused for a while, mind flashing back to that night. Some nostalgia began to overtake me as little moments I shared with Percy began to flicker one by one. Percy comforting me in my apartment. Accidentally falling asleep on his shoulder as we watched Netflix together. The two of us locked inside his room until the late night hours, chatting, laughing, listening to music. Enjoying each other's company.

 _That kiss I gave Percy on his cheeks, so innocent at the time but now feeling almost...loving._

I shook those memories from my head and placed the shirt on my bed, grabbing some grey sweatpants and undergarments.

 _It's just a stupid Yankees shirt. Don't get sentimental over it Annabeth._

"Good morning Annabeth," Samantha softly began as I headed out into the kitchen. "I made you some bacon and eggs."

"Thanks, Samantha," I replied giving a half smile as I sat down and began to eat.

 _Bacon. Man, you know, Percy really likes bacon. I made him bacon once, right?_

Shut up.

For the next few minutes, I ate, though my focus was divided, thoughts still on Percy and the Valentine's Dance. Samantha continued to look on at me for a while, a clear look of concern, sympathy present on her face.

I eventually acknowledged it.

"What is it, Samantha?"

"No Annabeth, it's just..you know.." she started, not finishing the sentence. She didn't need to.

 _Percy._

I gave a little sigh. "Samantha, it's ok. It's been two days already since Percy moved. I got over it. Don't worry!"

"Annabeth, it's alright to be sad. To feel down. To express those feelings. Percy's your best friend! I...I know he means a lot to you." she replied with a caring undertone as she went over to put a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"Samantha, of course, I'm...I'm sad Percy moved. He's been my friend since 12. He's...he's special to me."

 _I love him..._

"But it's alright like I said! I'm fine! I'll..I'll call him eventually! And I can still text Percy, right? Send him those annoying GIFs he hates so much. I'll..I"ll be okay!" I replied forcing a smile.

Samantha responded with a small smile and a half-hearted laugh at my joke. However, sympathy was still present on her face. There was some sadness that lurked as well underneath, Samantha clearly not buying my answer.

 _I'm not sad! Why would I be sad? Percy moved. It's just what it is._

There was some silence for the rest of breakfast, Samantha not wanting to press the issue further, sensing my hesitance. I tried my best to clear my head, looking ahead to my school day. Eventually, I looked up at the time.

"I'm going to leave now Samantha. Got a first-period art test today. I'll see you later." I declared as I got up from my seat.

"Ok, Annabeth. See you later dear," she replied as I gave her a hug and exited the apartment.

The Monday morning weather was pretty nice today; high 50s, mostly sunny. Considering it was late-February in New York, that was pretty good. It was a little chilly, so I had to grab my grey Oxford University sweater, but everything was great.

As always, I headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge, my usual and favorite route to school. However, approaching the entrance to the walkway, I suddenly stopped. Hesitation overtook me. Refusal to continue to walk.

Some...pain.

 _There were..too many memories on this bridge._

As if it had a mind of its own, my hand began to hover over my friendship necklace, the same one Percy still had with him. I began to fiddle around with the little blue beads as I stared on, flashbacks all the way from the past consuming my mind as much as I didn't want them to.

 _"And now, we're entering high school! A new place! New teachers. New people. I'm .. I'm worried and scared Percy"_ I had told Percy as we were walking home together.

 _"Hey, the point is we're going to be together. As long as we're together, everything will be okay."_ Percy responded, comforting me. _"Just know this, we're still going to remain friends. No matter what, I'm not leaving you anytime soon."_

 _"As long as we're together,"_ I said smiling up at him.

For what felt like the millionth time in the morning, I started to sigh and shook my head, almost violently, forcing myself to shield off any thoughts of Percy as I headed to nearby High Street Station, fiddling around my wallet for my MetroCard.

 _Annabeth, get over it! Percy's gone. That's it. It's your new reality now._

No Percy.

I had to get used to it.

 _Not being together with Percy._

* * *

 **(Percy POV)**

"Welcome to Washington D.C son!"

I gave a little smile to my dad as I headed out the terminal towards the waiting area, carry on luggage in both of my hands. It was around 3 pm afternoon Friday. I had just gotten off a 1 hr Spirit Airlines flight from Newark Airport in NJ to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C.

Unfortunately, the flight didn't offer any snacks. Or drinks. Or entertainment for that matter. Which I thought was kind of cheap.

 _Even though it's only an hour, I STILL need something to eat and distract me._ **(*A/N 1 at end)**

Poseidon was beaming as I approached him, face glowing. He was wearing a green Nautica t-shirt which showed off his muscular, figured arms. Dad also had some brown camouflage khaki shorts on and open-toed sandals, which was weird considering it was late February and rather cold. He was also wearing some shades; however, I could still see his wide, soft green eyes through them as he observed me. Dad's wet black hair was long and disheveled, swaying to one side as if he had just gone swimming beforehand. His beard was also longer than before, which I don't think mom would've approved of.

 _Note to self. Tell dad to get a haircut. And a beard cut._

From a distance, Poseidon emitted an overwhelming salty sea scent. His mischievous smile was front and center.

 _Yep, that's my dad._

"Hey dad," I started as I walked up and hugged him.

"Perseus! How are you?" Poseidon happily exclaimed, his voice booming.

"Again, that name dad! And I'm good. I'm...dad, you're..you're hugging me fiercely..gods!" I squeaked as dad kept hugging me with a force liken to that of a god.

"Oh, sorry son." he quickly answered, giving a sheepish grin as he released me. "It's just, man, you're here! You decided to move in with me! Finally, I can tell those suckers Ares and Apollo to hit the road!"

"I would be concerned about where they would now live but ok."

"This was quite the surprise when Sally said you would move in with me Perseus, er Percy. Again, why did you move? I was just as shocked as your mom when she called and told me."

"I just..I..I thought about what you..said, dad." I stuttered. However, inevitably, Annabeth, like so many times, crossed my mind.

After Valentine's Dance, I didn't come to school the next day. I couldn't bring myself to see Annabeth again after that night. And I hadn't told her that I was planning on moving. It was a decision that was already hard enough on its own. One that I had discussed at length with my mom. Made mentions to Grover. Piper. Rachel.

But not Annabeth.

I didn't want to talk to her about it. Just thinking about Annabeth pained me. Saying to her that I was leaving?

I couldn't. That would be even more painful for me to do.

I tried to clear my head of Annabeth again as I started to explain to my dad the reasons for moving, though they were quite lame. For a moment, dad looked at me, some wariness and skepticism present in his long stare. However, he then gave a little smile and shrugged.

"Ok. Point is you're here! Well, let's make our way to my car, shall we?" he said as he took my bags and exited the terminal.

In the parking lot, we walked towards the very back. As we got closer and closer, I gave a whistle as I took note of my dad's sleek Black 2017 Ford Mustang, the license plate reading _I SEA YOU_.

 _Mmm, very funny dad._

"Nice wheels," I commented giving an impressed nod as I headed in shotgun side.

"Well, not bad considering I'm on a GS-13 government salary. Nicknamed this bad boy Blackjack. Got power like a Greek pegasus. And you know how much I love horses Perseus, fuck why can't I get this right, Percy!"

"I know," I said as I gave a little chuckle. As my dad turned the engine on, I was greeted by the sounds of Aerosmith blasting on the radio. However, dad quickly scrolled through his phone to put some other music on.

 _Life is a Highway_ by Rascall Flatts.

Of course.

"Ooo, this song is perfect. Man, I can't fucking wait till we hit the freeway Percy! Only got this boy for a few weeks now so I gotta test out the speed! You want to give Blackjack a test drive?" Poseidon asked giving me a mischievous grin.

"I'm..I'm good dad. Just don't break the speed limit, please."

The rest of the ride my dad kept talking on and on, telling me about all the cool places they had in Washington D.C. Historical sites. Political. Best places to eat. Hangout. Awesome bars around town (my dad forgot for a solid few minutes that I was still a junior in high school).

Yet, I didn't hear him. My mind blocked out the entirety of the conversation, instead consumed with one thing and one thing only still.

 _Annabeth._

My eyes began to wince. I gave a painful sigh. Some hurt and heartbreak began to overtake me as I thought back to Valentine's Dance.

It had been so spectacular. So..magical. I still couldn't believe I was able to dance with an amazing, beautiful girl. Annabeth had looked so radiant and stunning, like a goddess. Her giggly, infectious laugh sending chills and thrills up my spine as I twirled and held Annabeth close to me while we danced. The last song of the night we shared, where Annabeth had buried her head against my chest, enjoying my embrace; I wanted to jump in pure bliss as I looked down at her, face at ease, just looking so at peace and happy.

I don't think I was ever more in love with this girl than that night.

And then she rejected me

Annabeth's rejection began to play for what was the millionth time in my mind as dad breezed down the highway.

 _I can't Percy. I'm sorry._

Annabeth's words were short. Simple. Yet I never felt more hurt in my life after hearing those words. More heartbreak.

I remember going home and lying on my bed, replaying the entire night. I tried to look at the positive side if there were any. One thing Annabeth said, in particular, I kept replaying.

 _It's me that can't love you._

A part of me that clung on to that statement, the hopeful, optimistic side, trying to interpret it in different ways.

 _Maybe Annabeth has feelings for me. Maybe she's not sure of them yet! Maybe..maybe she said no because she was caught off guard. Or it was late. Or.._

I NEEDED something to cling on to for hope; a little light to look up at in the sky across the bay to continually look towards each night.

But I shook my head, trying to rid these engulfing thoughts as we approached the main part of Washington.

 _The point is Annabeth said no. She rejected me. It's final._

We then arrived at my father's apartment, just a couple of blocks removed from Capitol Hill. Poseidon lived on the third floor in apartment 333 of his 20-floor apartment building. **(*A/N 2).** As dad searched through his pockets for his keys, he gave a little wink.

"Prepare to be AMAZED Percy by Fort Poseidon." my dad declared as he opened the door.

Entering, I was immediately greeted by one noticeable, big thing.

Blue.

There was blue everywhere. Blue on the walls, ceilings, kitchen, tops, dining place, bathroom.

Just, BLUE. I wouldn't have been surprised if the toilet paper was blue as well.

"Wow," I commented as I walked in, still overwhelmed by the blue-vity of the place.

 _I like blue but this is WAY too much dad._

"So, first impressions. Whaddya think?" Poseidon asked.

"Um, the place is making me..blue dad?" I awkwardly started.

Dad frowned at my rather corny joke. "Good one Percy. Good one," he muttered as he took my bags into a room, leaving me to be to look around at the place some more. Dad's apartment was definitely much bigger than our Upper East Side one. He had 3 rooms to the place, one of them labeled with my name on it, though it was annoyingly still _Perseus._ In the living room, in the back, there was a little area where dad had framed some of his most prized possessions. Some surfing and fishing awards from his days in high school and college. Poseidon also had a framed picture of his diploma from his alma mater, College of Olympus, where he graduated with a degree in marine biology. To the side of his memorabilia shelf, there was his wide assortment of fishing rods and surfboards piled up on top of each other.

If you're asking where the hell can you surf in the middle of freaking Washington D.C, I have no idea.

There was also a couch along the right side wall and a circular see-through glass living room table in the middle, some Dorito bags, Lays BBQ and Pepsi cans still messily sprawled across. Along the left side of the wall, there was a 40 inch Panasonic flat screen tv.

And besides it, a PS4.

"Whoa, no freaking way." I stated as I went near the tv. "Dad has a PS4? Mom would NEVER let me buy this."

Now, look. I love my mom. And I'm more than sure my mom would've given me anything that I asked for. She's that great.

And it wasn't that mom didn't let me play video games. She did.

Somewhat.

Its..my mom works as a novelist. Her entire day is consisted of writing and trying to sell books. And if you know anything about the book market, books and video games don't have the best of relationships.

So mom has a rather..strong distaste towards video games if you will.

"Oh, gods if mom found out.." I said out loud as I took a look at the controller.

"Mmm, yeah, er, Sally wouldn't have approved of this Percy, I know." my dad suddenly exclaimed as he headed out into the living room.

"Does mom know about this dad?" I asked.

"No. It's my little..secret. Please don't tell her Percy. Please. Oh, she would be up my ASS about this," Dad grumbled. I gave a little smile.

 _Our family has a lot of rule breakers, huh?_

"Anyways, what do you want to do now son? Got the rest of Friday afternoon and evening free. Not to mention the weekend! Gods, I can't WAIT to take you to a Washington Wizards game! Granted, not the Knicks but still basketball Percy. And the Knicks suck anyways so.."

"I..I don't know dad," I admitted as I sat on the couch. I took my phone out and opened up my messages, scrolling through the last texts I had sent to some of my friends. Mom.

Yet, I couldn't but help scroll further down to the last text I sent Annabeth.

 ** _Me: Annabeth, Hey, sorry I'm running late! I'm..busy. But I'll be there!_**

I looked away from the message.

 _I'll be there._

However, all of a sudden, we heard a big knock on the door. I looked back, confused.

"Did you invite someone over dad?" I asked.

"No, I..I didn't Percy," he responded as he went towards the front, just as confused as I was. "No one's coming over today! Unless it's..oh man." Dad looked nervously at me before he opened the door. He quickly closed it as he headed out to talk to this person. He tried to block my view of this person but it was not before I caught a little glimpse.

He looked like a large tall man. VERY tall, I should emphasize.

My dad stayed outside with this man for a little while longer. I stayed on the couch for a bit, turning on the tv, trying to distract myself for a bit.

However, typical curious me took hold.

I went up towards the door and placed my ear on it, trying to catch some sort of feel for what my dad and the man were talking about. It was mostly muffled, low whispers throughout the conversation but I was able to discern one sentence.

 _You weren't supposed to be here yet Tyson!_

"Um, alright, Percy." my dad finally said, a clearly flustered look on his face as he then entered the house. The tall man was now inside, looking at me with interest and a weird look of happiness.

"I..I don't know how the heck to start off," my dad continued. "This is, uh, this is Tyson Percy. He..he was SUPPOSED to come later, for dinner. But apparently, he came QUITE early."

I stood there in awe as I looked up at the man, apparently named Tyson. He was around an inhuman 8 feet tall, barely able to enter the apartment. His arms were extremely well built, biceps full of pure muscle, shoulder broad. His chest was bulky and ripped like a typical offensive lineman or linebacker in football. Weirdly, though, Tyson had a tattoo of some fish ponies on his shoulder. But don't be mistaken; this dude could easily bench around 200 pounds or more no problem. And if you got into a fight with him, good luck.

I expected this man's ridiculous jock-like build to be accompanied by a typical jock like facial expression. However, that wasn't the case. The word to describe how Tyson appeared? Like a little kid. Tyson had a big smile on his face as he entered the house. His big brown eyes had a playful, innocent fire to them. Tyson's eyes were so big that one could be forgiven if they only saw one. In his enormous hands, besides some grocery bags, Tyson had a piece of iron that he was fiddling around with, manipulating with ease.

Similar to my friend Frank, Tyson was a large, intimidating but friendly looking guy.

A clear juxtaposition (ugh that's a word Annabeth would use).

"Yes. My name's Tyson!" he happily chirped in a deep, bellowing voice. "This is Percy, right?"

"Yep, I'm Percy. Nice to meet you, sir." I answered extending my hand out for a polite greeting. However, Tyson than dropped the grocery bags in his hands and went up to give me a big BIG bear hug.

Now, I thought my dad's hug was fierce. But Tyson, oh man. His hug was unreal. Tyson's bulky arms were clutched around my body tightly, embracing me like his life depended on it. I felt like a little pillow as Tyson continued to hug me, slowly but surely compressing me.

A part of me admired Tyson's open display of affection. However, the other part, my entire body, was screaming out _air! I need..air._

"Tyson. Hey, uh, dude, can you..can you..uh..stop? You're..crushing me," I barely managed to utter as Tyson continued to hug me with a ridiculous amount of force.

"Oh, sorry there Percy!" he innocently replied as he quickly let go of me and gave a grin. I took quite a while to catch my breath.

"It's just, I FINALLY get to meet you! I'm SO freaking happy! I now have a half-brother to play with. Yay!"

I looked over at my Tyson with wide eyes. I then looked at my dad who was on the couch. He was trying his best to seem distracted from the whole conversation.

 _Half-brother. This mammoth, Goliath, not a person-person is my half-brother._

"Dad?"

"Oh, Percy, uh, have you been able to find where the sports channels are? ESPN is channel 40 here in D.C. Fox Sports channel, er, is..."

"Dad, I have a half-brother?"

"Um, er, well..yeah, technically..somewhat..you..you do Percy." my dad awkwardly stated giving me a sarcastic grin, though it was forced.

"Dad. When the heck were you going to tell me?" I exclaimed, a mix of some anger, disbelief, and utter confusion on my face.

"Uh.." Poseidon began, at a loss for words. Eventually, he feebly responded "S..surprise Percy?"

"Yes, surprise! Tyson likes surprises. I'm your half-brother Percy! Oh, this is so good!" he yelled as he went up to hug me.

For the rest of the afternoon, there was some rather bizarre tension in the apartment, Tyson the only one seemingly unaffected as he continued to chatter away happily about all the cool things he was planning on doing with me. My dad continued to be silent, still unsure of how to explain this whole situation to me.

Eventually, after a while, letting the fact that this big guy was my half-brother sink in, I calmed down.

 _Yeah, I have a half-brother who could probably split a tree in half and bend iron like its a twig. No biggie._

"So, dad," I then started as I leaned over to him on the dining table as we were having Five Guys for dinner. "What gives about Tyson? When were you going to tell me?"

"Percy, I only had Tyson for the past week. And he's not my son. Well, legally, son but not, like, SON SON." my father began. He took in a little breath before he continued.

"Tyson used to be a homeless kid in New York Percy. Living on the streets. Not sure who his actual parents were. Eventually, an orphanage agency from the city government found him."

"Oh," I responded, my voice getting soft. My tone assumed one of care and worry for the big guy. "That's..that's terrible!"

"I know. For a kid of his size and stature, he has such a nice heart and positive attitude. Also, very weird obsession with peanut butter. Anyways, I found him via a friend of mine in the government. Said if I was interested in adopting him. Of course, I replied yes."

"That's great dad!"

"Yeah, I know. So Tyson's been living with me for the past week. Going to school at Jupiter High. It was really refreshing to not have an annoying peer as a roommate. However, when Tyson heard that you were about to move in with me, he was super pumped up to have a brother. I think Tyson bought all the available board games that were on the shelf at Target."

"Oh,"

"He also spent the night before baking a cake for you Percy."

"Really?"

"Mhm. Tyson baked a cake for Percy! Percy likes blue right?" Tyson interjected, a smile on his face, as he proceeded to the fridge.

"Tyson, you didn't have to do that dude." I began.

"Hey. Tyson happy he has brother. Brother is cool! Daddy told me you won a lot of swimming awards like him." Tyson proclaimed.

I looked over at dad, who gave a little shrug.

"Hey, needed to brag a bit about my son to my other son."

I gave a smile as Tyson came over to the dining table, blue cake with blue icing on it. Well, it was a mis-happened blue cake; it looked more like a blue brick with blue cement on it.

It was pretty clear Tyson did not know how to bake.

"Percy likes it?" he asked looking at me expectantly.

"Um," I began, trying to find the right words without trying to hurt the big guy. "T..thanks Tyson. This is..great. I really can't thank you enough!" I expressed, trying to give Tyson a big smile to show my appreciation for his gesture. Tyson, thankfully, beamed at the compliment.

I gave a little sigh. _I suck at baking too so Tyson's not alone._

I then looked over at my dad, who also expressed a rather uneasy attitude to the cake. However, my dad then mouthed the words. _Tried to help him bake but Tyson refused. It tastes better than it looks though._

I tried out the cake. My eyes lit up. _Mmm. It does taste good! Chocolate and Oreos. And, some..peanut butter._

Interesting.

"This tastes great Tyson! Wow." I told him.

"Yes! Great! Tyson likes great. Tyson put a lot of sugar cause he likes sweet. Also peanut butter. Tyson REALLY likes peanut butter!"

I looked over at my dad. "I did say he liked peanut butter Percy."

I laughed out loud as the three of us continued to eat the cake together. For the rest of the evening, we continued to talk and chat, me learning more about Tyson. Apparently, Tyson had a natural talent at blacksmithing. Dad was currently trying to find him an internship at some nearby blacksmith named Cyclop's Works. **(*A/N 3)**

Tyson was also a big Disney fan. Like a BIG fan. His favorite movie? Frozen.

 _Of course. That's every child's favorite._

I felt pretty happy on my first day away from New York. Dad was super chill and his place was pretty awesome. I was probably going to be playing NBA 2k until 2 tonight. And Tyson was an awesome guy. He definitely was a cool bro to have.

"Alright, Percy. You should go unpack your stuff. We have a big day tomorrow. Wizards game!"

"Ooo! And movie night! Tyson wants to choose! How about Finding Nemo?" he excitedly exclaimed.

I laughed. "That's my favorite childhood movie there Tyson!"

"Then we'll watch it two times! Alright there bro?"

"Alright, bro." I said giving a high five to Tyson, smiling as I entered my room.

 _Maybe this will be fine_ I thought. Being away from New York. My friends. Mom.

 _Annabeth._

Everything will be fine.

As I unpacked and began to put my clothes in the drawer, I couldn't help but continue to laugh at Tyson's childish enthusiasm over Finding Nemo.

 _Tyson really is a little kid at heart._ It reminded me so much of my conversation before.

 _With Annabeth._

About our favorite childhood movies.

Though I didn't want to, my mind began to flashback to that day. The Thanksgiving Day Balloon inflation event. Annabeth and I had such a great time together, in awe over all the wonderful floats they had. I could still remember her humorous defiance that Monsters Inc was a better movie than Finding Nemo.

 _"Really? Finding Nemo? It's a good movie, not going to lie. But I love Monsters Inc. Such an incredible movie!"_ Annabeth had proclaimed.

 _"Yeah, Monster's Inc is great. But Finding Nemo is a childhood CLASSIC Annabeth. You can't top that!"_ I shot back.

 _"Hey, Monsters Inc is a classic as well! You just like it because of all the fish."_ she joked.

A smile began to form on my face. I started to play in its entirety the rest of the memory. Annabeth feeling hurt about her dad, crying. Taking Annabeth to a nearby bench to comfort her, brushing away the tears and blond curls from her face, which I could still remember looked as beautiful as always.

I could almost feel the soft, tactile touch of Annabeth's cheeks and curls right now as I thought back.

 _I..I miss that._

 _A lot._

My fingers began to unconsciously fiddle with my friendship necklace. Annabeth had given the necklace as a gift commemorating our special friendship at the end of 8th grade.

I remember being so stunned by her amazing gift. So..overwhelmed.

 _So.. in love._

It was then I knew I was in love with Annabeth. Where that little silly childhood crush turned to serious love for her.

As I continued to fiddle with the necklace beads, I was certain that Annabeth had her necklace on as well at the very moment. Like me, she never took it off, ever. It was as part of her as it was for me.

 _Annabeth would always be with me._ _No matter how much I wanted to forget her._

I closed my eyes and forced my mind to get rid of these pleasant yet now painful thoughts as I continued to unpack, trying to make myself excited for that movie with Tyson.

 _Stop thinking about Annabeth Percy! You're only going to make yourself more heartbreak. You're away from her._

This is your new life.

 _No Annabeth._

* * *

 **Unwanted Flashbacks**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Getting off the subway, I headed towards my high school. Entering, I entered through the parking lot.

I stopped. I was stuck in place. For a while, I looked on at the parking lot. That same hesitance that engulfed me before came back. Flashbacks, yet again, overtook my mind.

 _I'm in love with you._

I shook my head. Closing my eyes, taking in a deep breath, I walked inside towards my locker to put some of my books in, going over the upcoming art test. Suddenly, a girl's voice then called out to me from behind.

"Annabeth. Hey." Piper exclaimed as she came up to me.

"Hey, Pipes. How are you?"

"I'm..I'm good." she slowly answered. "You, uh, you ready for that art test soon?"

"Yeah. I can't wait to kick butt on Greco-Roman sculptures." I joked.

Piper gave a little smile. "That's good. Of course, you're going to kick ass in that art test Annabeth. You kick ass in everything Miss Princess, or should I say _Valentine's Queen_." she responded, which got laughs from both of us, though reserved. However, I could sense a lack of typical Piper enthusiasm as she called me Valentine's Queen, which felt so meaningless now. Like Samantha, Piper's face was one of sympathy as she stared at me, kaleidoscope eyes a pale blue. It looked like she was about to put her hand on me in a comforting manner.

I sighed. "Piper, Percy moved a few days ago," I said out loud, cutting to the chase. "It's been a while. You don't need to feel sad still. I'm..I'm not feeling sad."

 _I don't want to feel sad..._

"Gods Annabeth. I..I don't know why Percy moved! It was so..random!" Piper exclaimed, some confusion in her voice. "When Percy called and told me, I was so shocked. I asked him why he was planning to move in the first place. Percy was vague about it. He said he felt like it was time to move.."

"Percy's dad had always wanted him to move to Washington D.C Piper." I pointed out, trying to turn the conversation towards something else.

"That's true but why now? Why?" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I mean, he had a great time at Valentine's Dance, right?"

I winced as I heard Piper's words. The words _I can't love you Percy_ began to echo in agonizing repeat in my mind.

"It's..it's just what it is Piper!" I finally said after a while. My voice was raised a bit, though that wasn't my intention. "Percy's not here anymore! I'm..we'll be fine without him! It's okay. It's alright!"

Piper looked at me for a while, wanting to say something more. She clearly was not buying my statement.

Eventually, after some more silence, I finally said out loud. "Come on. Let's go to art class Piper. We have a test soon." more slamming rather than closing my locker, as I walked away, not waiting for her.

"Okay." was the only answer to escape Piper's mouth as we walked down the hall.

 _We'll be fine without Percy! It's okay. More than okay. I'm fine! I'll..we'll get used to it!_

In art class, the test was pretty good. It covered Greco-Roman sculptures and paintings, as well as some Greek mythology. I had extensive knowledge and love for those subjects and I was breezing through the test with ease until I came across one question in particular.

 _Identify this particular Greek mythological animal listed below._

I stared at the picture. It was a statue of a pegasus **(*A/N 4).**

For a while, I stared on at the picture of the gold beautiful creature, mane of the horse shiny and exquisite. It looked really similar to the one I saw at AMNH before, in their Mystic Creatures exhibit.

No, it WAS the same one I saw at the museum.

 _With Percy._

My mind, in a defiant state the whole morning when it came to avoiding thinking of Percy, inevitably began to play that memory.

 _"Ooo, Percy! Come here! I know you'll like this a lot!"_ I exclaimed as I stood in front of the statue in admiration.

 _"What is it Annabeth?"_ Percy asked as he came over next to me.

 _"A pegasus! Oh, they're so beautiful!"_

 _"Wow, that's so cool!"_ Percy commented as he started to admire the statue with me.

 _"I know! Pegasus are such interesting creatures; myth has it the Pegasus was born out of Medusa's severed neck. The person who slew her was named Perseus actually."_

Percy frowned as I mentioned the Greek version of his name. He absolutely HATED it. In fact, I think I was his only friend to know his actual name.

 _"Ugh. You just brought me here so you could use my Greek name, huh Wise Girl?"_

I looked at Percy with wide eyes. _"What? No way! I just wanted to show you this! Don't you like horses?"_

 _"Yeah but don't deny it, girl. You love using that Greek name, don't you? Isn't Seaweed Brain enough?"_

 _"Ugh, why do you continue being infuriating in the middle of a museum?"_ I muttered which got him to grin.

 _"Well, don't use that name pretty please. Then I'll stop being that. Between, you want to hear a funny horse joke?"_

I gave a little sigh. _"Humor me, Seaweed Brain. Humor me."_

 _"Okay. What do you call the horse that lives next door?"_

 _"A NEIGHbor. Get it?"_

I nudged Percy on the shoulder, rolling my eyes. _"Oh my gods, you're SO freaking corny!"_

 _"That was funny though, right?"_

I continued to glare at Percy. "Y _ou're REALLY lucky I like spending time with you, Seaweed Brain. Come on. Let's go."_ I moaned as Percy continued to laugh. Eventually, I couldn't help but laugh as well as we continued to explore the museum together.

 _It's just Seaweed Brain being Seaweed Brain._

I love it.

I ended up staring at my test for a while, daydreaming, as that memory played in my head. Eventually, the art teacher's announcement brought me back to reality.

"Class, 5 minutes left for your test!"

I shook my head and quickly wrote down my answer, cursing.

 _Pegasus! The answer is pegasus! Write that down Annabeth!_

I then continued on, absolutely frustrated with myself.

 _Why can't I just get Percy out of my head? Why!_

Later on in the day, I had my math test. I was great at math so I was looking forward to it.

 _Nothing like good old algebra problems to distract yourself._

I was working on the exam meticulously, in a state of absolute focus, when suddenly the school announcements came on in the middle.

"Alright, everyone. Listen up. Ok, er, let's clear up something. Yes, this IS Dionysus that's on the mic."

The class looked up at the speakers, a mixture of confusion, mostly horror, on their faces.

 _No way. He's BACK?_

"Yes, I'm back you little annoying..um..PLEASANT kids. I decided to go back to teaching after my..resignation. I came to realize that I .. _miss_ you kids. Also, er, it was pretty hard to find another job."

There was some murmuring in the class, mostly disbelief. Eventually, the teacher had to quiet everyone down.

"So we're announcing the winners of the winter art thingy-majing today." My eyes expanded.

I had nearly forgotten that the winter art competition was occurring. I usually always submitted for fall, winter, and spring. And I always won. However, it just happened to lapse my mind this year.

It was Percy who reminded me the day before the deadline to submit. Percy always did that; he was one of few people who genuinely appreciated my art and sketching abilities from when I was younger.

"The winner is, of course, Annabeth Chase. Whoa, what a surprise there. Head to you know where to get you know what."

The class gave a respective clap to me, along with the teacher. However, I didn't get up from my seat quickly like I usually did. I just sat there and looked on. One thought crossed my mind.

 _My first art award from middle school._

I felt a weird sense of..disappointment now. I wasn't excited about this art award like I usually was with the others.

I.. I don't know why. You're supposed to be excited when you receive an accolade, right? Especially for something you love to do. And I loved to sketch and draw.

 _It's .. I couldn't show Percy my award this time._

 _Like I always do. And wanted._

Eventually, the math teacher stated, "Annabeth. You should go to the office to get your award dear."

"Uh, yeah Miss! Sorry, just...I was finishing up my test first!" I got up from my seat and handed my exam in and headed out.

 _Annabeth, stop thinking about Percy. Who..who cares if you can't show Percy this award? You have your other friends. Samantha. Dad. You can show them your award._

No biggie!

 _But I wanted to show Percy._

And I couldn't.

* * *

 **Guilt**

 **(Luke POV)**

I found myself staring at Annabeth during lunch.

Except, now, she was my EX-girlfriend. Not girlfriend.

I could still remember that Saturday morning, Annabeth coming over to my penthouse to say that she was breaking up with me. I had stood there, stunned, as Annabeth began citing her reasons, stating "differences", "lack of direction in our relationship" and "other factors".

Apart from not understanding her reasons at all, one big question remained in my mind.

 _Why? Why now?_

Seemingly, everything seemed cool between us. I mean, apart from publicly scolding my girlfriend during bowling (still feel SUPER guilty about that), I thought my terms with Annabeth were good. She seemed pretty happy the weeks proceeding. And I had tried to become a better boyfriend to her.

And we both won Valentine's King and Queen!

 _The fucking lottery in CHB high school._

But then Annabeth just broke up with me.

I remember hitting up Charles soon after Annabeth left my penthouse, relaying to him the news.

 _Me: Charles. Annabeth just broke up with me man._

 _Charles: Dude, bout due time if I'm going to be honest._

 _Me: Yo? What the hell does that mean?_

 _Charles: Luke. I've been telling you since you two started dating you can't treat Annabeth like another girl. She's different._

 _Me: Hey! I know I acted like an ass before during bowling and other times. But I'm trying to change myself! I'm trying to talk to her more. Talk about our feelings and stuff. Those things._

 _Charles: Sounds like its a burden for you._

 _Me: Beck! Is this Silena's advice or yours cause honestly, you're sounding like her._

 _Charles: It's MY advice dude. Hey, have y_ _ou ever considered for just bit that maybe Annabeth's just not the girl for you and vice versa?_

 _Me: Maybe. But still. Valentine's King and Queen man! Valentine's King and Queen! And why break up with me now?_

 _Charles: Valentine's King and Queen don't mean nothing to Annabeth. Ugh, which I could stay the same of Sils. Dammit, she's still grumpy with me for my "lack of effort" in the competition._

Now, Monday, I found myself staring at my ex-girlfriend from across the room, ears and eyes locked on to her, as she went past her table of friends.

"Annabeth, come sit with us," Silena called out patting an empty seat next to her.

"That's ok. I want to sit by myself today Silena. I need to read my textbook for a science quiz."

"You sure Annabeth? Are you, um, still feeling down from, you know.."

A sad look appeared on Annabeth's face, gray eyes down, though she tried her best to hide it. I had heard Percy moved a couple of days ago to Washington D.C. I wasn't really sure why. It was kind of out of the blue in all honesty.

But I knew Annabeth was really close to him. Percy was her best friend, a fact that made me kind of jealous and lose control of myself multiple times.

So I understand why she felt down.

"I'm ok. It's been a.. while since he's moved. But I've gotten over it guys. Totally gotten over it!"

Silena looked on at Annabeth with wariness and sympathy, not buying her answer. Eventually, Rachel then chimed in.

"Annabeth, still, you should sit with us. Talk. We're your friends! We're there for you!"

"That's ..that's okay Rachel. I just..I don't..there's too many memo..see you later girls." Annabeth finally stuttered as she went towards a nearby table and sat down, trying to focus intently on her textbook. I continued to look on at my ex-girlfriend for the rest of the period, twirling my mashed potatoes. Annabeth was slowly eating her usual lunch of olive pizza, trying to study. Yet it seemed like she was distracted by something. Bothered. I didn't realize that my whole focus was on Annabeth till Drew interrupted me.

"Luke, what are you looking at?" she asked, a quizzical look on her face.

"Um, n..nothing." I squirmed. "Just..these mashed potatoes suck Drew."

Drew blinked her eyes at me at my rather dumb comment. Eventually, she peered over to where my eyes laid. She moaned.

"Ugh, you're thinking about Annabeth? She broke up with you Luke!"

"Yeah, I know. But it's just..I.."

Normally, I got over break-ups quickly. I dated pretty much every hot girl in school and didn't flash much of an eye when the inevitable occurred.

But I thought back to what Charles texted me.

 _Annabeth's a different girl._

Annabeth breaking up with me felt different. She WAS a different girl, unlike others I've dated; while most flaunted the fact that they were dating someone as rich and hot as me (not bragging. Just fact), Annabeth didn't. While they seemed to only enjoy their time with me while shopping, vacationing overseas, Annabeth enjoyed talking, hanging out, doing simple things.

Annabeth was a nice girl. Kind-hearted. Smart. She did her best to be a good girlfriend while I acted like a dumb jock on most occasions.

I felt guilty..weirdly. Bad. A sense of responsibility for the break-up. The fact that a girl that sweet broke up with me kind of stung, sting persisting.

 _Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt Annabeth? What could I have said or done to make her..wait..why am I so concerned in the first place? She's just another girl!_

"I need to get back with Annabeth." I then said out loud in the middle of these thoughts.

"What?"

"I..I need to get back with her." I reiterated.

"Are you serio..WHAT?" Drew exclaimed, tone and eyes assuming a disbelieving manner. "Luke, SHE broke up with YOU! Why on freaking EARTH would you wanna get back with her?"

"I know but, why Drew? Why? I feel like I did something wrong. Fucked up. I know Annabeth. She told me her worst fear was someone leaving her. But then she randomly broke up with me. Isn't that kind of strange?"

"Luke you've dated SO many other girls before. You can get another girl like this!" Drew said, snapping her fingers.

"She's different though Drew. She ain't into that materialistic shit like other girls. I..I like that. I ..I feel like I hurt her or made her sad for some reason."

"Luke, you making someone sad? Is that even POSSIBLE?" Drew questioned, a tone of incredulity and shock present. Drew went near to me and got close.

"Luke. Come on. Forget Annabeth You can get other girls! Other pretty girls! Who knows? Maybe some of your close girl friends are into you big guy." she said in a rather low, seductive voice. I continued to look at Annabeth for the rest of the lunch period as she slowly ate, thinking over Drew's words.

 _Maybe Drew's right. I can get another girl quickly. I'm Luke Castellan!_ a part of me began to cry out loud.

However, the other part, the softer side, said something else.

 _Why did Annabeth break up with me? Why? I..I liked my time with her. She's a really nice, sweet, positive girl._

 _What did I do wrong?_

I..I had to get back with Annabeth somehow.

I needed to.

* * *

 **New Guy in School**

 **(Percy POV)**

My first weekend in Washington D.C was pretty awesome. As promised, Dad took Tyson and I to the Wizards game in Capital One Arena. However, we had a bit of an issue as Tyson was too big to fit in our assigned seats.

Thankfully, it was resolved and Tyson got to sit in the more premium seats above, which I was jealous of.

Tyson had also shown me some of his favorite movies over the weekend. The Lion King. Aladdin. Mulan. He insisted on replaying each one of them twice and I relented. I very much considered myself a Disney expert by the end.

So, overall, I had a good time.

Unfortunately, I had my first day of school on Monday. Here in Washington D.C, winter break started a week later than New York.

Which absolutely sucked.

Thinking of winter break, I couldn't help but remind myself of the plans I've made with all my friends. The mall. Movies. Basketball with Grover and the guys.

 _Go to the Met with Annabeth._

I let out a sigh as I woke up, these thoughts lurking through my head.

 _I guess I couldn't do any of those...things anymore._

I quickly showered and put on some clothes. Some blue jeans and a green shirt and my green beanie. Entering the kitchen, I already saw that Tyson was up. He had his Spiderman backpack slung over his shoulder, two brown paper bags labeled Percy and Tyson in his hands.

"Whoa, what's this?" I asked as Tyson handed me my bag.

"Tyson made Percy lunch. PBJ sandwich. Extra peanut butter. Also, make your bed. Tyson likes neatness!"

"Um, ok," I answered as I quickly grabbed a cup of orange juice and went back to my room.

 _Note to self. Tyson's a neat freak._

Heading out my room, Dad was already near the door, about to head to work. He was wearing a blue suit and dress pants. His long disheveled hair neatly combed.

"You're looking sharp dad." I commented. Dad gave a disgusted look at me.

"Ugh, you know how much I hate suits, Percy. Honestly, if I wasn't working in the government, I would ditch the suits I have in a heartbeat. Swim shorts are much more comfortable."

I laughed as I hugged my dad goodbye. Dad then gave Tyson a hug too.

"Alright, boys, I'm out. Think about eating out for dinner? Just three men together."

"Ooo. Friendly's! I want to go to Friendly's! I love their chicken fingers!" Tyson exclaimed.

"Um, I was thinking about more fancy restaurants but Friendly's sounds good," Dad answered, giving a little smile. He then headed out, leaving Tyson and I inside.

There was some time left before we both had to leave. I went to get some Frosted Flakes, about to eat breakfast. However, Tyson, in the middle, then asked me a question.

"Tyson forgot to ask. Why Percy moved?"

"What?"

"Why Percy moved?" Tyson repeated. "Percy not like it there?"

"I..I just thought about what dad told me before Tyson. About moving in with him. I decided that now was the correct time to do so."

"Percy did not like New York? Tyson likes New York. Cool city. Pretty buildings. Nice peanut butter from Whole Foods."

"That wasn't it. New York is great Tyson. It's an awesome city."

"Percy had bad friends? Bullies?"

"No, I was cool with everyone."

"Girl problem? That's ok. Percy can tell Tyson. Tyson's Percy's brother."

I made a grimace as Tyson said that.

 _Girl problem._

 _A love problem._

An Annabeth problem.

"No. Not a girl problem dude." I lied, forcing a smile. "You know what? I want to go now, Tyson. Just want to take a look around the school first."

In the car ride, Tyson started playing some One Republic music. I pulled out my phone. I received a text from Mom earlier this morning

 _Mom: Hey Percy! Good luck in school. Hope everything's ok. Call me if you can._

I pressed mom's name and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey, mom." I started.

"Percy. Oh hey sweetie! How are you? My goodness, it's so good to hear from you. Is everything going well there?

"Yeah mom, it is. Just on the way to school now with Tyson. Man, I still don't know why dad didn't tell me from before I had a half-brother!"

"I just learned about Tyson yesterday Percy. So don't worry, you're in the same boat with me." she responded, which got me to laugh.

Mom continued. "You like it there Percy? Washington D.C is cool?"

"It's pretty cool mom. The city's pretty nice and Dad's place is awesome."

"That's good. Don't let Poseidon make you lazy Percy. The gods know I'll be all over him if he does so."

I gave another laugh to my mom, who returned it. However, eventually, she cleared her throat.

"Um Percy, to be honest sweetie, I'm still a little stunned you moved in the first place."

The smile on my face faded.

"Mom, as I said before, I just felt like it was a good time to move." I slowly replied, my voice low, eyes closed.

"I know Percy but still. Was there something wrong in school recently? You need to tell me if so! I'll tell Mr. Chiron if that's the case."

"Mom, everything was ok! It was..it was.."

 _Annabeth..._

"I just needed to move mom, okay? That's all. Get away from there for a while. Is that a lot to ask for?" I finally exclaimed, my voice getting louder than intended, getting a bit harsh with my mom. My mom was silent for a while, a little taken aback by my abrasiveness.

Eventually, mom slowly added.

"Ok, Percy. Just..just remember to keep in touch with your friends. Grover. Frank. Piper. Annabeth."

I grimaced at the mention of Annabeth.

"Alright," was my only response to my mom as I then hung up the phone, eyes still closed.

 _Can I forget about Annabeth for one day, please? One day!_

I want to...

Arriving at school, Tyson parked his Toyota Prius in the back. He then turned to me.

"Percy. Tyson going to go to the library first. Tyson's going to meet, uh, friend. Friend that's girl." he quickly said. I noticed that Tyson's cheeks were getting red as he mentioned the word girl.

"Oh? What's her name?"

"Girl name is Ella. She's really nice. Smart. Likes books. Nice red hair. Very pretty.. uh, Tyson will go now!" he stammered as he exited the car.

I couldn't help but smile as Tyson hurriedly made his way inside.

 _Mmm. The big guy's got a crush on a girl. Good for him._

Walking around the outside of Jupiter High School, I went around, taking in the surroundings. The place looked very similar to CHB High School. Same layout. Greek-esque design, though more Roman and exquisite.

 _This place felt TOO similar to CHB High School._

I was about to head inside to find my locker when all of a sudden, a person called out.

"Hey, looks like it's a new kid!" a sharp, bitter girl's voice shouted in my direction.

I looked back to see a girl with long thin brown hair look straight at me. She was as tall as a basketball player, standing at around 6'2. She had a broad, lean and muscular body, like that of a rugby player; I would've bet this girl probably did arm-wrestling as a hobby in her spare time. Her brown eyes were fiery and dark, like a pig's eyes almost. She had a persistent sneer present as she glared at me.

There was also another girl behind her. It looked like she was of Puerto Rican descent. Her eyes were a piercing black, hair glossy black and braided into a loop. She had a fierce look on her face as well, though it wasn't at the same intensity as the rugby girl. She was staring at me, though with more curiosity than anger.

As the rugby girl continued to glare at me, I don't know why but this girl made me angry. I started to ball my fists up. Those same fighting instincts I felt before in elementary school that got me expelled began to come back.

"What do you want?" I blurted out, my sea-green eyes looking at her fiercely.

Okay, probably not the way you want to introduce yourself to someone you've never met before. But hey, this girl seemed like a dick.

"You got an attitude. I like that. Name's Clarisse La Rue. And watch it! You have no idea who my dad is. Ares. Works in the military. Kicks ass every day."

"Oh, your dad is Ares, huh?" I responded. My dad had told me some rather..unflattering stories of Ares when the two were roommates together.

So the fact that his daughter had a rather poor attitude was explainable.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No. Your dad knows my dad. Ares got quite a personality from what I heard. So it isn't surprising his daughter would be the same."

Clarisse looked at me for a bit. She then growled and snorted. She looked back at the girl and rolled her eyes.

"Hey look Reyna! New kid been here for a bit but thinks he's the shit now!"

The Puerto-Rican girl, who was silent for a bit, gave a little smile, though it was half-hearted.

"Yes, that's..very amusing. Very amusing Clarisse,"

"Hey, you know girls, I have a name. Percy! Percy Jackson! And I'm not fucking with you rugby girl. I think it's the opposite." I shot back. Normally, in these situations, Annabeth would corral me in if I ever went overboard, telling me to calm down or to stop. And I usually did, always softening at her tender gray eyes and rational speaking.

But now, being away from Annabeth, I felt wild. Free. Loose.

I REALLY wanted to punch this girl in the face so badly.

Clarisse looked at me for a while longer. Eventually, she snorted.

"I would be careful if I were you with the nicknames. Watch your back their punk." Clarisse barked as she headed inside the school. The glossy black haired girl looked at me for a little while longer. She then went after Clarisse and left me be, her glossy black hair flying behind her.

* * *

 ***first period***

Putting some of my books in my locker, I then entered my first class, Greek mythology, my mind still on that ass of a girl named Clarisse.

 _Also that other girl. Named Reyna apparently._

I peered around a bit, not sure where to sit. Eventually, I looked towards the back. On the right side, there was a scrawny little kid sitting by himself. He had dark shaggy hair and brown eyes that looked, weirdly, deathly. He was wearing some black trousers and a brown biker jacket. He had some weird card game sprawled across his desk and was mumbling to himself about a card not having higher stats.

I went up towards him and gave a smile.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you dude?"

"Oh, yeah, uh, totally, totally." the black haired kid responded, giving me a ghostly grin.

"Thanks, man," I responded. "Forget to ask. What's your name?"

"Nico. Nico Di Angelo."

"Nice to meet you Nico. Name's Percy. Percy Jackson. My first day here. " I responded, extending my hand for a greeting.

Nico's eyes widened as I mentioned my name. "No way. You're Percy? By..by any chance, do you know Hazel? Hazel Levesque?"

My eyes widened as well at the mention of her name. " Yeah I know Hazel! She's a good friend of mine. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, this is SO cool. She's my half-sister! She used to live here with me before she moved to New York. Hazel was just telling me some of her friend's and you came up quite a bit. Heard you're a pretty good swimmer there Percy."

"Alright, that's very flattering of Hazel to note," I responded, giving a little smile. The rest of the time, Nico and I continued talking, Nico asking about how her sister was doing. New York. If I was a fan of the Yankees (duh. Of course. What the hell did he thought?)

 _Ok. This is really cool. This dude knows Hazel. Hmm, maybe Jupiter High School won't be bad at all._

Except for Clarisse.

However, eventually, a blue-eyed, blond-haired kid approached us. Walking to us, he gave a smile at Nico.

"Hey good morning Niks!" the guy began giving a smile.

"How are you, Bill?" Nico responded, grinning.

The smile on the guy's face faded. He glared at Nico.

"Nico. Please don't use that nickname on me. I hate it SO much!"

"Oh come on Will. It's cute, don't you think?"

 _Cute?_

Will looked at Nico for a bit, glare still present. However, his expression softened and Will gave a little chuckle.

"Ugh, you're lucky I really like you Niks." he said as he then went over to give Nico a kiss on the lips.

I kind of sat there a bit awkwardly as the two continued to kiss each other. Eventually, Will noticed me right beside Nico. "Oh, um, I..I didn't see you there dude! Oops" Will quickly stated, giving a sheepish, embarrassed grin.

"Oh, uh that's..that's alright their man! I'm new to the school so I don't know anyone."

"That's cool man. I'm Will. Will Solace. As you can guess, Nico's my boyfriend here."

"Yes, I am Bill's boyfriend." Nico stated, which caused Will to grumble.

I laughed. "Nice to meet you, Will. I'm Percy. Percy Jackson." I responded as I extended my hand out for a handshake. Will shot me a smile. However, it then turned to a frown, some uneasiness on Will's face.

"Um, sorry if you weren't comfortable with me kissing Nico randomly Percy. I..I hope you weren't offended or anything!"

I looked at Will in absolute shock. "What, offended? No. Absolutely not! A little awkward, yeah but anyone feels awkward when two people start to randomly kiss, right?" I said, which got Will to grin.

"Yeah, that's true. Sorry for that. Just can't help it sometimes, you know?"

"Hey, no problem. Besides, you two look great together!" I said smiling.

Will returned the smile as I said that. "Thanks so much Percy! That means a lot to both of us. Yeah, it's ..so many people nowadays are still uncomfortable about homosexuality, unfortunately."

Nico gave a nod in agreement. Some anger then appeared on his face. "I know! I mean, people are offended so much sometimes by people's personal actions. I mean who cares if two guys love each other and kiss one another? If two people love each other a lot, what should stop them from being together?" **(*A/N 5)**

"Yeah Niks. You're right. Man, I love how you're more mature than your age. Honestly, why are you playing Mythomagic again? That's such a childish game!"

Nico frowned. "Hey, this game is great Will! Cool stats. Awesome artwork. You should definitely try it out and play with me!"

Will shook his head. "Ugh Nico, you never fail to both impress and puzzle me at the same time," he commented as the two of them then started to hold each other hands, Nico resting his head on Will.

I couldn't help but smile as they continued to hold hands and cuddle one another.

 _Man. They did look great together._

Class soon started. The teacher, Miss Franklin, went up to the board to write down some ancient Greek problems. However, a girl then came in through the door.

"Sorry, I'm late." she casually noted as she went and sat in a seat near the front.

My eyes widened as I took note of who it was.

It was that Reyna girl from before.

"Reyna, why are you late, again?" Miss Franklin asked looking back.

"Sorry, just late."

"Reyna, honestly, this isn't like you! You're never late to class!"

"Hey, there's a first for everything. If I'm late, I'm late. What can I do about it?"

Miss Franklin gave a fierce stare. However, eventually, it faded, replaced with a look of sympathy towards Reyna.

"Honestly Reyna. What's gotten into you? What the heck has gotten into you? You weren't like this before." she mumbled as Miss Franklin turned back to the board. Reyna started to take her phone out and began texting.

I then glanced over at Nico. "Um, hey Nico. Who's..who's that?" I asked, eyes still on Reyna.

"Oh, that's Reyna. Reyna Ramírez-Arrellano. Don't use her full name though. She absolutely hates it."

"Um, ok. So what's the story on her dude?"

Nico let out a sigh. By the look on his face, it was a conversation that he had had multiple times before.

"Look, Reyna may come across as a bit..bitchy for a lack of a better term Percy. She's one of those popular kids in high school. Always consistently hanging out with Clarisse, biggest bully here in Jupiter High School."

I felt some anger rise as I heard Clarisse's name.

"Yeah, fuck Clarisse." I snapped as Nico gave a little laugh.

"Mmm. Preach. But it's not her character Percy. She's not naturally bitchy. I know Reyna. I've been in classes with her before when we were younger. She isn't usually like that. She has a calmer side to her that she's shown me. More caring. Clarisse has fucked her up a lot. I don't know why but she gravitates to her."

I looked on at Reyna as she continued to text on her phone, making some snide comments towards the teacher, which got kids to snicker. Miss Franklin tried her very best to ignore Reyna, though she was reaching her tipping point.

Staring at Reyna for longer, observing her simple braided hair and eyes, I could understand where Nico was coming from. I could sense this tough, not caring attitude was an act. A facade.

 _A way to hide something._

I don't know why but this Reyna-girl reminded me a bit of _Annabeth_. Annabeth was always one to hide her true feelings, trying to put on this mask that everything was ok. She did that when her dad canceled a visit on her. With Luke.

 _Emotions in general._

I felt the same way when looking at this Reyna girl. A same sense of this sort of mask.

And I don't know if I liked that.

* * *

 ***gym period***

After some more classes, it was now P.E. I had it the same period with Will and Nico, which was cool. Also, apparently, Tyson was in the same class as me, which was pretty neat.

Unfortunately, the P.E teacher was Gleeson Hedge.

From what Nico told me, Coach Hedge was an absolutely TERRIBLE gym teacher. He was a typical, hard-ass, guy who pushed his students to the ultimate max on everything.

Even simple stretching exercises apparently.

Coach Hedge also owned a deaf-inducing football whistle, which he would randomly use at any point. Even if you were right there next to him, as Will attested to.

Today, we were playing some 2 on 2 basketball, which was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, we couldn't make the teams. Coach Hedge did.

"Alright there! Y'all are gonna play two on two basketball! Half court. First to three points win! Girls vs boys. Cause why not."

"Alright. First team! Tyson and Will. Ella and Leila. Court 1." Tyson and Will looked at each other, fear overcoming them.

"Ok, I suck at basketball Niks! Absolutely suck! Why do we have to keep playing this?" he grumbled to his boyfriend as Nico comforted him.

"Me too Percy. Tyson bad basketball. Ella much better. Ella read basketball books. She good. Pretty too."

"Um, just try you're best their big guy." I told him as Tyson and Will went towards the court, mumbling about how much they hated P.E.

A few other names were listed. Finally, my name was called.

Well, nickname.

"Alright. The new kid and Nico. You will face off against.."

"Reyna and..Clarisse."

 _Oh, what the actual fu.._

"Oh, lookie here. We get to face water boy!" Clarisse snarled as she went up to me.

"Yes, we do," Reyna added standing beside her, a little smile on her face. Like before though, it felt reserved.

"Alright girls, look, we don't any trouble. Alright?" Nico started, trying to lessen the tension and be diplomatic. "Look, my friend and I don't want any trouble. So if you can just chill when playing us.."

"Basketball is MY sport and I will kick both of your asses idiots." Clarisse shouted, ruining any chance for civility.

"You know what, it's on Clarisse!" I angrily said as I checked the ball to her. "You're first!"

"Actually, YOU'RE first," she responded as she threw the ball at me, near my chest, making my ribs nearly snap in place. "And of course it's on."

 **(A/N: Between guys. I feel like I have a LOT of basketball scenes in my story now, even though it's not the main sport I play. Weird but eh)**

Nico gulped as he went towards the net, guarded closely by Reyna. Clarisse was playing some aggressive man on man on me as I started to dribble the ball towards the middle.

"Come on punk. Show me what you got! Scared?" Clarisse stated, trying to stir up some smack talk and taunt me.

I stared viciously at Clarisse as she continued her act. My eyes, though, started to stare down the court at Nico, who was standing around the net, not doing much.

With my eyes, I silently motioned to Nico to move towards the middle so I could make a little bounce pass to him. Nico, getting my message, did just so.

I then dribbled hard to the left, faking like I would be going straight to the net. Nico then made his way to the right opposite of me.

Clarisse was on me the entire time. However, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Reyna, who was playing hard defense on Nico, likewise. The two girls inevitably bumped into each other midway, setting up an easy pass and layup opportunity for Nico. I quickly passed the ball to him.

 _Yes. Easy one point!_

However, Reyna recovered quickly. She got up and rushed after Nico. I was able to take a glance at her; Reyna's dark eyes were one of fierceness, determination, similar to a warrior. She looked almost like Annabeth when she was competitive, determined to take down her competition swiftly.

 _Oh shit._

As Nico went for the layup, Reyna's hand went up to block him. A surprised Nico looked up in awe as Reyna got the rebound.

 _Aww fuck._

Reyna went back towards the half court line to take the ball back. However, she then dribbled forward, looking as if she was going to set up a play. Instead, Reyna attempted a long three-point line shot.

It was all net.

"Oh fuck yea!" Clarisse commented. "Reyna's got the skills. Damn girl, so happy you're a part of my group."

"Thank, Clarisse." Reyna replied. "But it was your strategy, leadership that helped us get that point."

"Leadership. Fuck that! You just bull-dozed these suckers to Tartarus!"

"Hey, the game is not over yet Clarisse!" I yelled as I then checked the ball to her.

Quickly, the girls scored another point and we were done 2-0. However, Nico and I quickly got back into it. I scored one off a steal and Nico made a point from the 3 point line.

It was down to one point.

I had possession of the ball. I started to dribble, trying to go for a layup. However, Clarisse started to get dirty. She then got close to me, entire body on top, hard nudging me, shoving, playing dirty in general.

"Hey, what the fuck?" I yelled as Clarisse continued to do that, swiping her hands at me.

"Don't like this water boy?" she snickered.

"Ok isn't this shit illegal!" I yelped as I looked over to Coach Hedge. He was consumed though with a Washington Capitals game that was going on, clearly not caring about the basketball games in his gym taking place.

Eventually, I lost control of the ball and it slipped out of my hand. It rolled over to a nearby court. I grumbled. I was about to go get it when all of a sudden, Clarisse blocked me.

"Clarisse. What the hell? The ball is dead!"

"I know." she casually said as Clarisse grabbed my shirt, tightly gripping it, almost lifting me in the air.

"Clarisse what are you.."

"This is for fucking with the wrong person Percy." she exclaimed as she then released my shirt and pushed me away, sending me down hard on the floor with a big thud, back first.

"Oh shit! Percy! You..you ok man?" Nico cried out loud.

I looked up at Clarisse, who was laughing hysterically. Reyna was laughing a bit too, though it was more subdued. There was some concern on her face, though she didn't want to show it in front of Clarisse.

My sea-green eyes began to get dark green.

 _I FUCKING HATE CLARISSE! I FUCKING HATE HER!_

I balled my fists up. The pit in my stomach began to tighten and knot up. I started to grit my teeth. I felt like I was in elementary school again and I was facing off against some bullies.

 _I felt that same urge to fight and cause trouble._

"Come on water boy! You want a fight. I'll give it to you!" Clarrise goaded, motioning her hand towards me. A bunch of kids began to gather around, sensing a possible fight stirring. Reyna continued to be silent. She started to shift around uncomfortably, clearly not in total agreement with Clarisse's actions.

 _ALRIGHT? SHE WANTS A FUCKING FIGHT. I'LL GIVE IT TO HER!_

However, as I was about to go up to land an uppercut punch to Clarisse, a little voice inside my head screamed out to me.

 _"Percy no!"_

I stopped. The voice sounded familiar. However, almost as quickly, I shook it off.

What are you doing Percy? Go and knock the shit out of Clarisse!

 _"Percy no, don't!"_

There was that voice again. It was a girl's voice. A young one, I would imagine, around 12-years old. There was some concern present. A clear worry for me.

It was Annabeth.

 _"Percy don't do it please!"_ Annabeth was crying. I was now in the hallways of Goode. I was 12 again. I was beside Annabeth, on the floor. She had both her hands on my right, her gray eyes looking at me with such softness and tenderness, some tears in it. It was clear Annabeth had been crying a lot before. Her blond hair was in a tangled mess around her. She was sniffling a bit. I could almost feel her touch, fragile. My heart began to swell as I saw Annabeth in that state.

 _Someone had hurt her._ I started to get angry.

"But look what she did!" I exclaimed. I didn't realize it but I was saying that out loud.

 _"Percy I know._ _But what's fighting going to do? It's not going to solve anything! It's only going to make it worse."_

"But look what Nancy did! She..she hurt you!" I said out loud, not saying Clarisse's name. Clarisse was looking at me with a confused look, as were other kids.

 _"I know Percy. I know. But fighting's not going to do anything. You'll just get kicked out! Expelled. And I..I don't want to lose you.."_ Annabeth softly said, her voice down, eyes not meeting mines.

As I continued to look on at Annabeth's face, I began to calm down. My anger slowly but surely started to dissipate. My fists began to unclench. I un-gritted my teeth.

"I'm..I'm not going to fight Annabeth." I then stated. Almost as quickly, that little flashback disappeared and I was back in Jupiter High School gymnasium.

"What the fuck are you waiting for! You're going to fight or not?" Clarisse shouted.

"No. I'm not." I calmly told her.

"What?"

"I'm not going to fight you, Clarisse. Okay? I..I can't. I don't want to.. disappoint someone."

Clarisse and the rest of the gym looked at me in absolute shock, staring at me like I was crazy. This kid about a second ago was going to knock the living Hades out of Clarisse.

Now he didn't want to fight.

 _Percy. Don't._

"Ugh, you're so fucking weird!" Clarisse grumbled as she went off in another direction. The kids began to murmur among themselves as they continued to stare at me. Eventually, they left as well.

Reyna continued to look at me though, her eyes assuming a look of wonderment.

"That was...interesting." she finally noted.

"I just..I didn't want to fight Reyna. It's not right."

"Clarisse was asking for it. By all means, she deserved it."

"I know. But fighting wasn't going to do anything. It's not going to solve the problem. I..I didn't want to disappoint..someone." I finally said, my mind going back to Annabeth and that flashback.

Reyna's eyes continued to look at me, dissecting me. Eventually, they then softened. The hard, masked look on Reyna's face from before began to slowly but surely fade away.

"That was..admirable," she commented. The bell then rang, signaling the end of gym period.

"I'll see you around..Percy. Is that your correct name?"

"Yes, that's my name. And you're Reyna, right?"

"Yes, I am. Just Reyna. I'm not going to give you my full name. Sorry." she stated as she then went up to give me a handshake and helped me up from the floor.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to ask. You'll probably kick my butt if I did like in basketball."

A smile formed on Reyna's face as we exited together, Reyna continuing to give me some side glances, still in awe over my non-violent response to Clarisse. My mind, though, was occupied with that little flashback of 12-year-old Annabeth from before. A little phrase she had said, which I kept repeating over and over.

 _I don't want to lose you, Percy..._

* * *

 **What is Love?**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Entering the last period of Monday, my day had gone alright. My tests went pretty well. I was also able to get some extra studying in for the science quiz during lunch, which was great.

And some of the junior girls were looking at me with some respect, knowing that I won Valentine's Queen. Which was flattering, a bit uncomfortable, but kind of nice.

Yet, memories with Percy kept playing over and over in my head as much as I didn't want them to. Throughout the day. Little things would trigger my recollections, triggering other memories.

I need to stop thinking about Percy. I just need to!

 _I want to._

Entering creative writing class, I then headed to the back towards my seat. For a while, I stared on at the nearby empty chair, a part of me anticipating and expecting that Percy would come like he always does.

However, I knew he wouldn't.

"Hey, how are you class?" Miss Thompson began as she smiled at all of us. "First, hope you all enjoyed your upcoming winter break! I'm going to go to France so au revoir my little angels!" she stated

I bit back a curse. I had totally forgotten that winter break started tomorrow! I had planned a lot with my friends. Mall. Movies. Food-binge eating around New York City (Leo's idea).

 _A Met trip with Percy._

However, I cleared those thoughts and refocused my attention to Miss Thompson as she started to write some stuff down.

 _I guess I..I can't do that with Percy now._

Miss Thompson continued. "But before we leave, I wanna first start off with a question we had before Valentine's Day, which we haven't completed yet. What is love? I had all of you write down various things. And let me tell you, they were all quite impressive. Especially the guys." she stated, smirking as the class began to laugh.

"So, what is love?" Miss Thompson then said. "Here's what one of you wrote: Love is a strong emotion."

"Love is an overbearing emotion."

"Love has no boundaries."

"Love should have no limits."

"Love is like a drug. It overtakes you when you feel it."

Miss Thompson read off some more of the student's paper. Finally, she came to mine.

"Finally, Annabeth." Miss Thompson stated as she looked at me. She gave a big smile.

"Annabeth, your words on love were really touching. Impressive. Heartfelt. This was by far the best one I've read on love from all my classes. I really want to read this out loud to everyone. But I don't know if you're okay with it. So I'm asking you."

"Um, I'm..I'm okay with it Miss Thompson." I tentatively answered.

Miss Thompson smiled. "Thanks, Annabeth. You're great!" She then started to read my paper out loud. As I heard my words, I felt myself getting overtaken with memories again, of Percy reading the same statement the last time he was here with me. How emotional I got. How I felt so touched. The fact that these words were the reasons I loved Percy meaning so much, especially now with him..gone.

This time, I didn't let myself suppress these memories and emotions as Miss Thompson spoke. I let them play through its entirety.

 _"Love is a special, hard to explain feeling. It's something that only the two people involved can feel and understand. When you're with the person you love, you feel extremely happy. Safe. At bliss. You forget all of life's problems. You would do anything for that person because you know that other person would do the same for you. That they care and love you a lot. That they'll continue to be there no matter,_

It had only been a few days. Not even a week.

Not even half a week since Percy left.

Yet, I couldn't keep denying it. As Miss Thompson wrapped up my paper, giving me a soft smile, my heart began to get down. Break. My gray eyes started to dull into a thunderstorm. I felt some emotions slowly pouring out, though I wanted to suppress them.

I wanted to so badly.

But couldn't.

One overbearing thought came to my mind. A big, encompassing, _painful_ one.

 _I miss Percy. I ..I miss him a lot._

No matter how much I wanted to deny that fact.

 _No matter how much I wanted it to not be true._

I miss Percy.

* * *

 **End Statements**

Again. Sorry for any edit issues! I uploaded this around 10:25 pm late and was so tired. Just wanted to get it out!

A rather sad, reflective, emotional chapter admittedly. Percy and Annabeth are trying to find some new "'normal" in their daily lives without one another. However, both, especially Annabeth, really miss each other.

I didn't want them to be too depressed or down, instead showing how they're lives are not really the same without one another. Hopefully, I did a good job.

Also, not planning on making Percy into a "bad boy" and change his character as minecraftgraces suggested in his (presumably a guy, right?) review. It's an interesting idea and some fanfics go that route but I'm not doing that to my boy Percy. I love his sweet, caring character that I built up and I don't want to tear it down. Partly why I made that fighting scene with Percy thinking about Annabeth's words. Annabeth kind of serves as his conscience almost.

We'll also see Percy and Annabeth's first conversation with one another the next chapter. Yes, you can shriek if you want.

Also, how do you like Tyson and Reyna? Hope I made them as canon-like as possible. Tyson is such a great guy, someone I would love to have a beer with (if I'm of legal age of course). I find it rather sad that most other fanfic stories don't have his character included; dude is AWESOME. Also, I like Reyna's strong outside appearance she displays that masks her inside emotions, kind of similar to Annabeth in this story. She gravitates to Clarisse because of the leadership thing she displays, which she admires.

Of course, Reyna Percy. Hmm..

Anyways, hope to be uploading Chapter 17 soon this week! Working extra hard to get some meaty chapters in and make use of this long break. Have a great day as always! And leave your boy a follow/fav if you haven't and of course reviews if you can. Reviews are like ambrosia to me. Even better, I won't die from overdosages :P.

 **Author's Notes from the Chapter:**

A/N 1: That was a little jab at Spirit Airlines, which I rode over the summer when heading to Disney with my family. Such a TERRIBLE airline company. Sorry, but I had to make that joke guys!

A/N 2: Little reference to Poseidon's cabin being Cabin 3 in PJO. Also 20 cabins in total for Camp Half-Blood. Just a fun FYI for ya'll :P

A/N 3: I know. I know. Kind of bad incorporation of the fact that Tyson is a Cyclop's in PJO. Forgive me but there's no way to casually throw in "hey, this dude's, like, NOT human and is a mythical creature called a Cyclop's with one eye. So sorry!

A/N 4: The exhibit I had mentioned in Annabeth's flashback was a past exhibit. Unfortunately, if you visit the AMNH now, it's not there anymore. Which sucked cause it looked really cool from my research for this chapter :(

A/N 5: Hope you all liked the little message I made about homosexuality

I'm not personally gay but I know people and friends who are. It's really fucked up that people still act so harshly against those who happen to not have the same sexual preferences as yours. Honestly, you should be able to love anyone you want, regardless of skin, color, race, or gender. Love is love and shouldn't have any boundaries. Percabeth is a great example.

 **Review Responses :**

 **Guest:** Thanks so much! Appreciate the author compliments. Means a lot! Don't worry, I won't stop the story anytime soon

 **Guest:** Mmm, noted on the fact that a lot of people view my story. It's hard for me to gauge interest so I do it via follows/favs/reviews. But thanks!

 **Guest:** Thanks for thinking my story is exceptional. One of the best on this site? Oh gods. I don't think it's that good but I'm so glad you believe that!

 **ArtemisNewHunter:** I wasn't sure if you saw my PM. And I REALLY wanted to respond cause your review made me so damn happy. So I'm just going to reiterate it again.

I'm Really glad for your review! It means so much to me! Thank you. You shouldnt apologize for not reviewing/following earlier. I never force my readers to follow or review my story.

However, I always do appreciate a lot a great review of course! And hope you continue to do so in the future!

The end scene of Chapter 15 I had conceptualized from the start of the story and it's creation. And it was written a while back. It was one of the key plot climaxes I planned. The chapters that came before it was all trying to build up to that big it was slow and arduous but it means a lot that you thought I did it well.

And yeah there can be tears of appreciativeness for it! As well as sadness. It's such an emotional and heartbreaking scene. And like I stated, I never realized just how much people are vested in the story and connect with the characters and the relationship.

Your point about worrying that I will be ending my story randomly? Don't worry; I'm not planning on doing so anytime soon and i don't want to! However, updates, at least when the break is over, can be pretty erratic since I'm in college currently. Just to let you know.

And overall, I feel motivated to finish and continue the story. Its just admittedly, at points, a rather low fav/follow/review to word count ratio can be discouraging. But I realized they're meaningless. Meaningful, thoughtful reviews like yours and dedicated followers are what's important :).

Again thanks so much for the review! And I wish you the best of luck on your own fanfic story! I'll definitely check it out if I can. I don't get too much time to read other fanfic stories unfortunately but I'll make my best effort to read yours if I can!

 **If your review wasn't listed, I have already responded with a PM saying thanks. If that's not the case, please do know that I read ALL reviews and appreciate all of them!**


	18. Chapter 17 - Conversation

**How are you guys? Apologies for the LONG wait.**

 **But here I am. Unfortunately hehe :)**

 **I want to say that when writing this chapter, I randomly began to get inspiration to start writing some scenes for the upcoming ones. Getting a random writer's high is both a blessing and a curse at the same time if anyone knows what I mean? (where my writers at?) And I wrote way more than I planned for this chapter (feel like I say that every chapter but it's true. Nearly 27,000 words. WTF?).**

 **Anways, thanks a bunch for the reviews/follows the last chapter. Those of you who reviewed especially are awesome hell. Please keep it up :) .**

 **Now, let's see how that Percabeth conversation will go...**

 **(A/N: Forgive for any possible typos and sentence structure errors. I'm super tired now releasing this after dealing with GOD awful wifi. So be chill :D)**

 **PS: Who likes the new cover picture for the story I chose? Percy and Annabeth look SO freaking cute I wanna pinch them. All the credit goes to JaayChaan, who has a Youtube channel, Deviantart, and I believe Pinterest if I'm not mistaken. So the check the user out!**

* * *

 **Talk**

 **(Rachel POV)**

3 weeks.

It had been a solid 3 weeks since Percy had moved to Washington.

Even now, with time to process, I still couldn't believe it. From what I could tell, Percy had an awesome time during Valentine's Dance! I was able to catch a glimpse of him and Annabeth slow dancing together in the middle; Percy was twirling Annabeth around, who was laughing and giggling the whole time, her face looking so full of life and happiness.

I couldn't help but smile widely; the two looked so happy with each other. I thought, finally for once, Percy might've told Annabeth his true feelings for her.

Yet, Percy had not come to school the day after. I texted him in the evening, trying to ask where the hell he was. I was joking around a bit, stating that he probably chickened out on seeing Annabeth again.

However, Percy's reply was simple yet impactful.

 _I'm planning on moving Rachel_.

I looked at my phone for a while, his words not really resonating. I thought Percy was joking; I HOPED he was joking. I texted him back, telling Percy to cut it out and tell me for real why he didn't come to school.

However, the straightforwardness of Percy's initial answers, combined with the messages he sent afterward, made me realize Percy wasn't joking.

He WAS planning on moving.

 _But... why?_

I tried to question Percy some more, texting him, wanting real answers. But Percy was adamant in his vagueness; he kept repeating that he felt like it was "time" to go. That his dad had always wanted Percy to move to Washington D.C with him.

That he needed to "get away" from here.

I immediately called Percy, trying to convince him not to move. But Percy was insistent; he kept repeating he needed to. That he HAD to. However, I could sense an underlying painfulness in his voice, this decision clearly hurting and taking a lot from him. Percy wasn't able to speak for long and I was growing frustrated by his reticence to why he was moving. However, as Percy was about to leave and hangup, a sudden thought entered my head. I began to think all the way our bowling night out. Luke had almost broken up with Annabeth. However, Percy had suddenly revealed to everyone how he had a crush on Annabeth from before.

Afterward, at Five Guys, I broke up with Percy. It was something that was overdue. I realized how much Percy cared for Annabeth. How much he worried and loved her. I knew for sure he was lying when he stated his crush on Annabeth had faded. One simple statement he uttered flashed in my mind.

 _"I do love her Rachel. I love Annabeth. I..I love her a lot. Always have,"_

Valentine's night again crossed my mind. I remember Annabeth's expression as we all were about to head home, flat and sad, even though she had just won Valentine's Queen. It was such a stark contrast to how she looked with Percy just moments before.

"Percy, are you moving because of Annabeth?" I suddenly asked. "Are you moving to Washington D.C because of her?"

Silence persisted, the only sound present Percy's deep breathing on the end of the line. Eventually, a terse, low "I have to go now Rachel," came out from Percy's mouth. Percy hung up, never answering my question.

Now, in early March, not a full month after Percy's sudden leave, that simple no to the question of Annabeth kept lingering in my mind.

At the same time, with Percy's absence, I felt like our friends were growing apart from each other. There was more fighting whenever we hung out together. Tension. Playing the blame game amongst one another for Percy's sudden exodus. Percy was a glue in our group of friends. A cohesive force. A guy whose sarcastic yet firm, kind attitude could bring everyone together when there was an issue. There was mostly nothing but positive things to say of him from the guys and girls.

During lunch one day, Grover came up to the table waving a sole Knicks/Celtics game ticket in his hand, shaking his head in sadness.

"Fuck man! We were supposed to go with Percy to the Knicks game today!" Grover exclaimed out loud. "I had planned this for weeks!"

"I know. I was really looking forward to going to the Garden to see Porzingis absolutely ball." Jason added.

"I mean, on the bright side, we're still going together right?" Frank stated, trying to lighten the mood. "And besides, the Knicks suck as usual even with KZP playing like an MVP. So I guess we dodged some usual _Knicks-breaking-our-fucking-spirits_ by not going there?" Frank joked.

There were some half-hearted smiles among the guys at that comment. However, it was short-lived.

"Honestly, I still don't understand why the fuck Percy moved?" Grover continued, a goat-like sigh coming from him. "Why? Damn, everything seemed cool with him! I was literally fucking texting him the day before he left! He was pretty chill with everyone. Jason, Frank. Leo. Piper, Hazel, Silena, Annabeth.."

At the mention of Annabeth, Percy's words played in my head.

 _I love Annabeth. I love her a lot._

"Rachel, did you have any issues with Percy?" Silena suddenly asked, peering over at me.

"Huh?" I responded, my mind zoned out of the conversation completely, hand playing around with my blue plastic hairbrush.

"It's just..you know..you two dated before. Maybe Percy was still a bit bitter about the break-up or something?"

"No, I was cool with Percy! We had mutually broken up Sils. I didn't sense any lingering pain from Percy from the breakup. We both broke up due to some..differences." I responded.

 _I love Annabeth. I love her a lot._

"I called Percy that night. He said that his dad had always been eager for Percy to move in with him. That he felt like he needed to move."

"What does that MEAN? Like why now!" Grover repeated, flustered and confused.

"It was that bowling night! It had to be! Drew. Fucking piece of shit Drew!" Piper then yelled, clutching her can of ginger ale tightly. She had been livid for the past weeks about Percy, visually upset. Besides Annabeth and me, Piper was probably one of Percy's closest girl friends. Percy always counted on her for help and vice versa.

"She had to start some shit like always between Percy and Annabeth? GODS! Always her and the fucking..."

Jason gave a little side eye to his girlfriend in the middle of her tirade. "Hey Pipes. Maybe if you and Silena hadn't so carelessly allowed Drew to trick you both into revealing some shit between the two, maybe all this wouldn't have happened! Maybe Percy wouldn't have had reason to move or something!"

Piper looked at her boyfriend in absolute shock at his accusation. "Jason! What the hell?" she screamed.

Silena, as well, expressed the same reaction. "Jason!"

Leo, who had been very silent throughout the whole conversation in an un-Leo like manner, chimed in. "I mean, maybe Jason has a point, Piper. You girls might have been too intrusive into Percy's love life or something. That might've set him off or.."

"Leo! What the hell? How can you even accuse me of that kind of shit! Are you that fucking dense or.." Piper yelped, in absolute anger at this point.

It was Hazel who then stopped this whole mess. "Everyone! HEY! What the fuck?" she exclaimed, looking at all of us, trying her best to corral the situation as if she was manipulating the Mist.

"Can we stop fighting, PLEASE? Gods! We've been arguing about this every day now! The point is Percy is gone. Jason, you can't blame Piper for what Drew caused. Drew's a manipulative person. And Piper didn't know any better and she thought she had changed. And we don't know why Percy left. We're just speculating at this point! Let's just forget about the reasons why he left and hope he's doing okay in D.C, alright?"

"I'm going to talk to Percy tonight on Iris Messaging about my half-brother Nico. Maybe we could start a group chat or something together?" Hazel offered. There was a collective nod around the table at Hazel's suggestion, the tension and anger slowly faded.

Jason gave a sigh and looked over at Piper. "I'm sorry Piper for getting angry at you. It's just..Percy. I can't believe he's.."

"It's okay babe. I'm sorry too. I miss Percy as well." Piper replied, her kaleidoscope eyes, usually quite bright and cheery, dull and sad, almost bordering on pitch black. The rest of the time at lunch we continued eating in silence, Leo trying to lighten up the mood every now and then, though even he himself wasn't too into his jokes as usual. My mind couldn't stop replaying one thing.

 _I love Annabeth._

I didn't know what it was but I KNEW it was something with Annabeth that caused Percy to move.

Annabeth had decided to go to the library today. She had made it more a habit to do so these past few weeks since Percy left. I could understand why; in lunch, Percy and Annabeth would always sit together, laughing and chatting with each other, having a good time. With Percy gone, Annabeth was in essence, gone too. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't depressed or anything. Annabeth was a strong person and she went about her business as usual, her smart, sarcastic joking self still present, acting as if everything was okay.

That Percy was still here and nothing had changed.

But no mistake about it; I could sense her sadness. This longing for him. _This ... hurt that he left._ I knew how much Percy meant to Annabeth. How special their friendship was. Even when Percy and I were dating and Annabeth was with Luke, you couldn't deny that this strong bond between the two existed. That realization made me break up with Percy. I thought back to my conversation with Annabeth during the New Year's party about Percy, how her expression brightened at the mention of his name, gray eyes filling with color, mind at ease, just happy to think about him.

Now, with Percy having moved, it was as if a part of Annabeth had left as well. And she was just trying as hard as possible to ignore these feelings she harbored.

Repeatedly, I and the girls would try to bring up Percy, wanting to talk it out with Annabeth. We cared for Annabeth and if there was one flaw she habitually exhibited, it was her frustrating refusal to be open about how she felt about certain things.

 _Like her feelings._

Yet, Annabeth was as stubborn as ever. Unwilling. Uptight. Annabeth was putting a tight griplock on her emotions like it was a Pandora's box and she wanted all the contents inside to continue to be locked and hidden.

"Girls, why are you worrying so much?" Annabeth would consistently state, almost like a broken record player. "Stop worrying, what the heck? Look, Percy's gone. That's it. Of course I..I miss him but everything's fine. It's fine! I'll..talk to him soon. And there's this thing called text-messaging? Duh. So just..stop worrying! Gods!"

Annabeth was the same with her dad; this denial of how deeply she missed him when he canceled his trip on him.

 _How truly hurt she was by it._

It was as if the more Annabeth cared and loved a person, the more she kept denying how much she missed them when they left.

And as the lunch period waned on, Percy and Annabeth absent from the table, I felt myself feeling bad for her. Especially with Annabeth's almost painful refusal and apprehension to speak and reconnect with Percy. It reminded me of my own experiences with my dad. When I was young, my father and I would always argue with each other, to the point it became a routine almost. I absolutely hated his job and the rich, snobby lifestyle that would come from it. I tried my best to shun away from it to his disappointment. In return, dad would force me to attend private schools instead of public schools, which I fucking hated.

I despised my dad. I wouldn't talk to him for days, sometimes for weeks. Yet, I still wanted to talk and see him in the end and vice versa. And I loved my dad still. Even in anger, sadness or whatever emotion, it's important to talk to people you're close with.

 _Especially if that person is someone you love a lot._

If only there was a way to get Percy and Annabeth to talk to each other...

* * *

 **Little Secret**

 **(Percy POV)**

My first few weeks in Washington were pretty great.

I bonded with dad and Tyson well. Poseidon, as promised, took me to all the coolest places in Washington D.C. The famous monuments. Smithsonian Museum. Best burger places in D.C. Dad also tried to sneak me into a bar he would go to often after work; Olympus Lounge. Apparently, he knew the guard there quite well, Terminus, so I guess Poseidon was expecting some hook-up.

Unfortunately, Terminus was an absolute rules stickler. When he found out what my dad was trying to do, Terminus was mad, which is putting it KINDLY. Poseidon was immediately kicked out and that was the end of that.

Yeah, I don't think dad was invited back there for a drink anytime soon.

Each night, I would also play some NBA 2k with Tyson, who was an awesome, caring brother to have. Unfortunately, Tyson would always lose, which I felt bad about. It was partly because while I would always play with the Cavs or Warriors (cause they're the Cavs and Warriors. Duh), Tyson insisted on always playing with the Wizards, since he really liked wizards. I tried to explain to him the benefits of choosing other teams non-Wizards but Tyson was stubborn in sticking with them. It also didn't help that the PS4 controller was ridiculously too small for Tyson's hands. I've lost count of the times Tyson intended on passing the ball only to prematurely shoot and completely miss the net.

I'm trying to get a larger PS4 controller for him but I don't think you can buy an "XXXXL PS4 controller" on Amazon.

But Tyson was a good sport about it. He would always shrug it off and say, "You beat me again Percy." before retiring himself to go get some peanut butter and banana sandwiches for himself.

I really couldn't have asked for a better dad or bro to live with.

Nico and Will were awesome too; they were such great friends and I always hung out with them at lunch along with Tyson. Although I do have to say, Nico's obsession with Mythomagic was irritating, more and more each day. I was also starting to get along with that mysterious Reyna girl, which was nice. We chatted a bit at times and she would always give me a little smile or sign of acknowledgment whenever she came past me in lunch or class.

However, she still hung out with Clarisse, which baffled me. And Reyna's personality would change dramatically whenever in the presence of Clarisse. But at least she seemed to be an actual PERSON rather than a non-mortal creature.

However, even after almost a month apart, the thought of Annabeth couldn't help but enter my mind each day, no matter how much I didn't want it to. This longing. Yearning to be with her.

 _How much I missed her._

I hadn't talked or texted Annabeth since Valentine's night. _I didn't want to._ Over the winter break, my friends had texted me some pics of them sledding in Central Park. I stared at the ones with Annabeth included in them. She looked just as perfect and beautiful as I remember her. Shiny long blond hair. Cute and striking gray eyes. That pretty, photogenic smile of hers.

Just..great.

I started to sigh. My own winter break was rather uneventful. I was getting my butt whooped in soccer by Nico and Will (Nico is Italian so that explains why he's so good) along with having to binge-watch all of Spongebob with Tyson. Also, dad had taken me on a special, exclusive tour of the Library of Congress, only available to select government employees like him.

It was cool, but I was semi-interested; really, Annabeth would've LOVED this library, baffled at all the books and knowledge surrounding her. And I would've loved exploring the Library of Congress with Annabeth; I never was a big reader but Annabeth had a way of making it interesting and fun at the same time. I could almost predict what she would've said had we gone together.

 _"Oh, my gods Percy! That's the original copy of Thomas Paine's Common Sense! It is one of the best selling books of all time in U.S history! Paine was such a cool person; he was once able to convince a bunch of officers who arrested him to let go of him after Paine showed them his book 'Age of Reason'. That is just SOOO freaking cool!"_ **(*A/N 1)**

I smiled as these thoughts flowed through me at random in lunch one day. _That's just Wise Girl being Wise Girl as usual._

I really miss Annabeth...

 _Ugh, stop it Percy! STOP! You NEED to get used to these feelings!_

"Tyson! Oh, my goodness!" Nico exclaimed, sighing out loud. I quickly came back to my senses.

"What?" Tyson responded, confused.

"How the heck do you still forget? Hades in this game has near full 1000 power! He can't be beaten by one Titan only!" as he looked at Tyson in disappointment,

Tyson had an absolutely baffled look on his face as he picked up his Atlas card, scratching his head. "But Atlas strong too, no? Close to 1000 power like Hades."

"Yes! But that's only applicable towards demigods, minor gods and goddesses. Against Olympian gods, especially the Big 3, that power diminishes SIGNIFICANTLY! How do you keep forgetting? I reminded you so many times already!"

Tyson slammed his cards on the table in frustration and sighed. "This dumb! Tyson thinks game too complicated. Tyson going to go sit with Ella. She more fun to be with." he declared as Tyson got up and grabbed his lunch tray, moving over to a nearby table to Ella, who was surrounded by a bunch of geography maps and Roman history book she borrowed from the library.

Will looked over at Nico and shook his head in disapproval. "Way to go Niks. Spooking off another one of your friends with this Mythomagic nonsense."

Nico glared at Will. "Shut up Bill." which got Will to start play fighting with his boyfriend.

I gave my friends a half-smile. However, my eyes began to shift over to the front of the cafeteria to the mysterious glossy black haired girl. She was with Clarisse, who was surrounded by members of the Jupiter girl's volleyball team, bragging how great she was in the last game. Reyna had a respectful smile throughout, though I could sense that same uneasiness she usually exhibited around Clarisse as she was bragging, as much as she wanted to hide it.

"Can not fucking wait to get to the volleyball championships! We'll steamroll the shit out of our competition. Ain't no one beating us. We've got Clara, Lisa. And of course, Reyna the fucking raker!" Clarisse smiled as she patted Reyna on the back.

"You are too kind Clarisse." Reyna commented, giving a little smile.

"Kind? Girl, you are amazing. You are low-key the MVP of the girl's team! Course I'm first but.."

Reyna's eyes began to sparkle at Clarisse's praise. "I..I really thank you for that." Reyna responded as their table continued to laugh and jeer, Clarisse back to heaping praise on herself.

I started to shake my head in wonderment.

 _Why the fuck does Reyna keep willingly wanting to sit with that..thing?_

"Honestly, why does Reyna like sitting with Clarisse?" I stated, thinking out loud.

Nico, who had pulled his boyfriend into a tight headlock to give him a head rub, let go of him at my random question.

"What?"

"I just..why does Reyna keep wanting to sit with Clarisse? What the hell does she give to her?"

"What. You interested in her Perce?" Nico asked, a sly smile appearing.

Will, who was fixing his ruffled blond hair from Nico's nudge, also gave a grin. "Seems so. Oh and fuck you Nico for screwing up my hair. Not cool!" Will exclaimed as he attempted to give Nico a retaliatory jab in the stomach, which he blocked.

"Come on guys. What the fuck? No, I'm not!" I shot back. I had a very hard tone and facial expression. There was also some heaviness in my voice as I began to think of that word.

 _Date?_ I wasn't interested in dating Reyna! She was cool and all and she seemed like a fun person to be around.

But I wasn't interested in dating her. Annabeth still lingered in my mind. She was the only girl I ever cared and loved for a lot.

 _And probably ever will._

I shook away these deep, painful thoughts and continued.

"I'm asking about Reyna because I STILL can't understand why she likes hanging out with Clarisse. I really don't! I remember talking to her after almost fighting Clarisse. Reyna seemed genuinely concerned and relieved that I was okay."

Nico's smile faded as he heard my explanation. He then let out an exhale.

"I understand Percy. I think I told you already but Reyna wasn't like this before. I knew her when we were both younger in school. Reyna was much nicer. It's something to do with Clarisse's personality and style. She's attracted to that."

I shot Nico a puzzled luck. "Who the fuck would be attracted to Clarisse's snobbiness?"

"I honestly don't know. I've brought this up to Reyna times before. She's always put off the question and fended me off. It's not the snobbiness that Reyna goes to. I's Clarisse's _certain_ attitude, that _confidence_ she exhibits, whatever the heck that means. Reyna likes it that Clarisse praises her, especially for shit that makes Clarisse happy, which unfortunately involves being a major douche and dick."

I gave a nod, though still confused, as Nico and Will resumed their play fighting for the rest of lunch. However, one word kept sticking out to me in particular.

 _Certain._

That word felt so similar to the word _permanent._ It was a word _Annabeth_ would use quite a lot, especially when describing buildings. It was no secret Annabeth LOVED architecture. But I never knew WHY. I asked Annabeth numerous times that question and she would always be reticent, shrugging it off and saying that buildings were interesting and cool.

And that was that.

A little conversation, though, with Annabeth from our childhood popped in my head.

 _"It's just, buildings. They're permanent. I feel like my whole life has always been a big, constant moving mess, Percy."_

I didn't know what was up with this Reyna girl but maybe it was something similar.

* * *

 **Pathetic**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Mid-March. A full month since Percy had left.

I wanted to say that time had gone quickly. And it did. After winter break, clubs and sports began to hit me. Spring track. Academic decathlon. And pretty soon, I would be taking the SATs at the end of March, which the gods know I'd been DYING to get over with. After all the intense studying I've done, if I got anything less than a 2000 I would've judo flipped the test moderator without thinking twice.

And I wanted to say that I was okay. I was. I went about my day as usual. I went about life as usual.

Yet, I still couldn't shake off this one overwhelming feeling I kept experiencing, one I didn't want to have. A feeling that I wanted to bottle up and throw into a river, hoping it would disappear and float as far away from me as possible.

 _I miss Percy._

I hadn't spoken or texted him in the past month. I was scared frankly. Apprehensive. I didn't know whether I could talk to Percy anymore without awkwardness and tension present each time. Without a simple conversation inevitably barging upon that Valentine's night, Percy's confession he loved me, and my rejection of him.

 _Without our feelings entering the conversation._

I did my very best to avoid thinking about Percy these weeks. It was impossible though. I couldn't help but worry about him. A lot. Especially during winter break, where I constantly would wonder what Percy was doing all the way in Washington D.C. Whether he was having fun.

 _How winter break was not the same without him._

I never realized this but not knowing Percy's how abouts absolutely freaked me. That concern was deep seeded, to the point that I felt a need to send out a search party to frantically try to find Percy as if he were lost.

 _It was like a natural-born instinct; to worry about him._

And I couldn't shut it off.

It was now Friday in the afternoon. I was at my locker, grabbing my track shoes. I didn't have much plans today. I had a quick track team practice to go to for the 1000 m race on Saturday **(*A/N 2)** Afterwards, Rachel invited me and the girls over to her house to watch some Netflix together. I was really set on finally showing them the Netflix British show _Black Mirror, an_ interesting dystopian look about the dangers of modern technology. It was super creepy but SO fascinating to watch. Silena was probably going to kill me for recommending something as spooky but she would have to deal with it. **(*A/N 3)**

 _Ugh, you know, Percy and I were watching the first season of Black Mirror together a week before the Valentine's dance...  
_

Sighing, I closed my locker door, about to head to the track field. However, I suddenly saw my ex-boyfriend Luke at my locker.

 _What..._

"Luke?"

"Uh hey, Annabeth.." Luke awkwardly began, a clear look of discomfort on his face.

"Luke..." I repeated, taken aback by his sudden presence. Ever since I broke up with Luke, I hadn't really spoken or seen him, apart from those unpleasant and awkward encounters at lunch and in our classes. Luke was probably still stunned that I had broken up with him in the first place.

"Annabeth, um, what..what you're doing now?" Luke continued, interrupting my thoughts.

"Luke, why are you here?" I asked. That might've seemed blunt and rude but there was really no way for an ex-girlfriend and ex-boyfriend to talk without any tinge of tension or harshness mixing in. No matter how I phrased it, saying to Luke _hey person I used to be romantically involved with! Why are you talking to me?_ will come out wrong regardless.

 _Also Percy.._

"Annabeth, I just want to talk. That's all. Are you not ok with that?" Luke asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"I'm ok with that but Luke, we're through. We're not dating anymore."

"I know. And I'm not hitting on you or anything Annabeth. I know that you're through with me but..can't we talk or something? Hangout? Aren't we still friends at the very least?"

"Yeah but.."

"Annabeth. Look. I know you broke up with me. And I'm not going to pretend that I know why you did. I don't. But I WANT to start over. I want to restart and make amends. Try to stop doing what I was doing in the past. And that starts with being your friend. At the very least, can I be that?" Luke finally told me, his blue eyes assuming a soft look to them.

I wanted to say no to Luke. As his ex-girlfriend, I knew how ugly he could get when his bad side came out, which was unfortunately often. And having experienced that, it was something I didn't want to relive.

And now, this love for Percy I had waned in me. These strong feelings I couldn't bring myself to admit to Percy on Valentine's night. My apprehension in revealing those emotions.

 _It's me that can't love you, Percy..._

I didn't know whether reconnecting with Luke was good or not.

Yet, I couldn't just say no to being Luke's friend outright. Luke had a soft look on his face, one of seemingly genuine origins, as he looked at me. Luke seemed remorseful for his actions. It looked like the good Luke was coming out; the one that I liked and enjoyed seeing. The one that was sweet and nice.

 _I'm trying to change Annabeth._

I had to give Luke a chance at the very least. I had to.

"Okay," I managed to say, giving my ex a polite smile. Luke's uneasy look quickly faded, replaced with that classic mischievous grin he would flash when we were dating.

"Alright. That's great! So, what are you up to now Annabeth?" he continued.

"I just have a quick track practice. Half hour. Then I'm going to hang out with my girlfriends at Rachel's place for the evening. Watch some Netflix."

"Oh, that's nice. Shows you have in mind to watch?"

"I'm showing the girls Black Mirror, one of my favorites. The show is really good. But it's super creepy though and Silena is probably going to have nightmares and curse me for showing it."

 **(A/N: Yeah I have a Black Mirror obsession guys as you can tell haha. It's such a good show but so creepy and will give you literal nightmares.)**

Luke gave a laugh. "That sounds like the Silena I know," he commented as we both chuckled. I then heard a buzz coming from my phone. It was a notification that track would be in 5 minutes.

"I have to head to track practice now. I'll..I'll see you around Luke?" I stated as I put my phone in my pocket' about to head out. However, Luke then stopped me.

"Uh, I'm actually going there right now Annabeth. I've got some friends in track. You wanna walk together?" he suggested.

"Sure. That's..that's good." I responded as Luke and I began to stroll towards the track field, Luke at my side, giving some smiles here and there.

I gave some polite smiles back.

 _This feels like old times with him. At the beginning when we were dating._

And I used to kind of enjoy that.

* * *

 ***at the track field***

Arriving, I could already see some of my girl friends in the bleachers, Piper, Silena, Hazel who were all giving me grins and waving. Calypso had also joined. She was sitting next to, you guessed it, Leo. Leo was trying his best to act macho yet goofy at the same time, eliciting some cute laughs from her.

"Leo, stop kidding yourself. You can not run the 100 m dash in 10 seconds. No one can." she said giving him a friendly nudge, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, you do not know who you're talking to Kaly! I'm the Leonator."

"Leo. I do not like that nickname Kaly.." Calypso moaned, shaking her head.

"Well I like it. And that's all that matters!" he grinned, eliciting another nudge from her.

"Why am I your friend still? Why.." she groaned.

"Yeah. Just my..friend." he replied, Leo's expression getting down, giving a soft low sigh as the two resumed watching track, Leo a bit more subdued.

 _Just ask her out Leo and save the will they won't they drama for the rest of us..._

Silena was with her boyfriend Charles, resting her head on his shoulders, giving me a big smile. Hazel was with Frank, also cheering for me. Piper had Jason next to her. Jason was giving Piper a quizzical look as he saw her handmade sign, shaking his head. Her sign read " _Go kick some major ass Valentine's Queen/Miss Princess/Annabeth!"_

 _Ugh, why does Piper have to have that sign up? It's just freaking practice._

But I couldn't help but smile and wave back. The girls were awesome at cheering. They were super loud, imposing, and came up with rather unique chants whenever I had a track meet; I believe I owe them quite a bit for some of my gold medal victories in the past for their out of the box, raucous chanting.

"Hey, Annabeth!" a voice called out to me from behind. I turned around to meet face to face with a bright, frizzy red-haired girl.

My friend Rachel.

Rachel also ran track at CHB. And currently, she was in her black shorts, red Nike sweatshirt on, splattered with glitter and paint. Her blue plastic hairbrush was serving as a hair tie for her, frizzy red hair in a ponytail.

"Hey, how's it going?" I replied. I'd been getting along quite well with Rachel ever since Percy was gone. She was extremely nice and thoughtful. Despite my apprehension, Rachel always would tell me how Percy was doing from her conversations with him, which I appreciated it. Rachel understood how much I cared for Percy and wanted to know how he was in D.C.

 _And ugh you used to hate this girl Annabeth..._

"Great! You, uh, you up for tonight still, right?"

"Of course! I'm always down for Netflix. Girls are coming over, right?"

Rachel had a big smile on her face. There was a sense of relief that seemed to take hold of her.

"Ok, that's awesome! Just..that's good." Rachel smiled as she quickly went away towards the back.

 _Hmm, weird._

I was about to go and get ready for practice when a girl's voice shouted in my direction.

"Lukey! Hey over here! And I'm over...oh hi Annabeth." Drew was running towards us, walking when she took note of me. Drew was wearing some expensive training pants and a sweatshirt. There was a noticeable whiff of overpriced perfume emitting from her as she came over, making my nose want to take cover. That cheeriness in her voice she exhibited notably disappeared as she saw me stand next to Luke.

 _Nice to know the enthusiasm is reciprocated._

"Drew what's up?" Luke asked.

"I'm great. Just great! Just..what are you doing here Annabeth?" Drew snapped, cutting to the chase.

"Um. I run track. And there's track practice today. So..."

"Ugh, seriously?" she groaned. "Come on! This makes joining track MUCH less fun!"

"Whoa, you're .. you're in track Drew?" Luke and I exclaimed at the same time, looking at her in disbelief.

"Yeah. I am. Got a problem with that?"

 _Yes. You're doing productive shit for one._

"When did you join?" Luke continued, still taken aback.

"I just joined a week ago Lukey. They had said at first it was too late. However, daddy made them reconsider, which I'm so happy for! They knew I had great talent so it's not a surprise" she said, giving a grin and shrug.

 _Of course. Her rich dad bribed the school. Wouldn't have been surprised if the recipient of that quid pro quo was Dionysus._

"Are you happy for me?" Drew questioned Luke, a big smile flashing on her face.

"I mean, it's cool you're doing sports." Luke replied awkwardly. "So yeah I guess."

"Ok girls! Listen up." the girl's track coach said out loud. "For today, we're just going to do 1000m races with one another. Little fun and relaxing thing. Then, you girls can go home and get a good night's sleep for tomorrow. I've assigned the person you would be facing at random."

"Kayla vs Meg."

"Rachel vs Katie."

The coach listed off a few more names.

"Finally, Drew vs Annabeth."

 _Ok, that is NOT random at all..._

"Lookie lookie here," Drew replied with a smirk, looking at me. "Drew against the blond know-it-all Princess!"

"I would phrase it as Annabeth vs Miss-Dramatic-and-annoying-as-shit but you do you, Drew," I mumbled.

"Oh this going to be so sweet when I fucking beat..."

"Girls, please don't try to kill each other," Luke interjected in the middle of our smack talk, giving a little awkward laugh. He then looked at me. "Good luck Annabeth. And of course, uh, good luck Drew," he said as he went to the bleachers.

"Luke said good luck. He said good luck to me!" Drew exclaimed, smiling widely, getting giddy.

"He said my name first but okay."

The two of us then lined up at the line. Drew had a fierce look on her face. That stupid annoying grin refused to come off her face as we heard the countdown.

 _How does she still have the energy to scowl?_

3, 2, 1...

"You're shoe's untied Beth."

"Nice try. Your perfume is making my nose vomit."

"That's because you don't have good taste Annie." she replied, grinning, making me moan as she used those nicknames.

 _I hate those nicknames! Gods, I want to defeat Drew so freaking badly..._

GO!

At the start, the both of us bolted down the track, taking off full speed. Drew stumbled getting out, falling down on the ground. I tried to suppress a little laugh. I would've probably chalked her fall to Drew having freaking 24 karat gold platings on her sneakers but I would've also accepted plain clumsiness as an answer as well.

"Ugh! FUCK!" she yelled as I took the early lead. Drew then dashed off, trying to catch me.

Throughout the race, my friends were cheering me on as Drew and I continued to race against one another. Piper, especially, was quite vocal in her support.

"COME ON ANNABETH KICK SOME DREW ASS!" Piper yelled from the stands. She used quite a lot of charmspeak on her voice too.

"Piper! Calm down, please. This is just practice." Jason said, looking around if anyone had overheard his girlfriend.

"Hey, that's my good friend out there, babe! And I HATE Drew. I can't help but be exci.. ANNABETH LET'S FUCKING GO! YOU GOT THIS GIRL! SHOW THAT DREW WHO'S THE BOSS!" Piper continued, holding up her sign.

"Ugh. I would get a little embarrassed but this is Drew Annabeth is facing off so this passion is warranted." Jason said as he proceeded to clap for me, pulling his girlfriend close to him.

I gave a smile to my friends as I breezed down the track, maintaining my lead through the halfway point.

 _Hah. A piece of cake! Ooo can't WAIT to see Drew's face by the end of this race!_

However, 3/4 through the track, Drew started to catch up, recovering from her terrible start. She started to slowly but surely catch up. Drew wasn't as polished in track running or fast as me. However, she was very determined. In addition, her annoying mind games she engaged in were also quite effective. Drew would continually shout aggravating things to me as we were running, trying to get into my head and interrupt my focus. I tried to ignore them, but this was Drew we're talking about.

The king of annoying, visceral insults.

"Hey, Blondie. Is that hair fake or real? And honestly, fake or real, no guy would want that!"

"Hey. If they used your curves to curve tests, everyone would be getting a LOW grade!"

"Annabeth. You should open a restaurant. Cause you got some skinny ass chicken legs." **(*A/N 4)**

Yeah, Drew was a bigger threat than I realized.

Going around the final stretches, I still had a slim lead. However, Drew had found some extra energy within her. She picked up her pace and was soon neck and neck with me.

Drew, suddenly, pulled off to the lead.

"NO WHAT THE HECK! DREW'S LEADING! ANNABETH! NO! SHE'S LOSI...I CAN'T...I HATE DREW!" Piper yelled, visibly upset.

"Come on Annabeth..." Silena cried out, her eyes pleading.

There was a collective murmur among the audience as they took note of what occurred. Luke was also looking a little-worried. His face was one of disappointment almost, similar to at times when we were dating.

 _I hate that..._

We were approaching 100 m left, Drew still in the lead. Approaching the end, she looked back at me and smirked.

"Haha! Told you I would win! Gods Annabeth and they said you were so GOOD. This was fucking easy. Gods you're so pathetic no wonder you dumped Luke." she finally said shaking her head.

I shouldn't have let those words affect me. This was coming from Drew, who had a knack for spouting a lot of bullshit. And I knew for myself I was a great runner; you don't win 3 gold medals in girl's track without being good.

So I shouldn't have let them take hold.

However, they did. Some hurt began to form inside as I began to replay that phrase from Drew all over again.

 _"You're so pathetic. No wonder you dumped Luke!"_

You're so pathetic..

That phrase uttered felt all too familiar. It was said to me so many times before. Where the kids at school would tease me for being too smart or nerdy. For being different.

 _For having no friends. No one to play with._

 _Or care about me._

In that split moment, I wasn't confident high school Annabeth. I felt like weak, old Annabeth.

The one from childhood.

 _"Ever since in 4th grade, you've always been such a nerd and a loner with no friends. YOU'RE SUCH A LOSER!"_

I now was at Goode Middle School. In the lunchroom. I was eating with Percy, in a great mood. Then, Nancy Bobofit decided to make trouble.

 _"You're so pathetic Annabeth!"_ Nancy shouted at me, snarling.

 _"Go away Nancy!"_ I yelled, trying to make her stop. She didn't though.

 _"Just wanted to say hi to your boyyyyfrieennndd!"_ she teased. I remember my face getting red, absolutely embarrassed.

 _"He's not my boyfriend!"_ I exclaimed.

 _"Ha, I shouldn't have even thought that you have a boyfriend. Who would want to go out with a grey-eyed blonde freak like you!"_

I remember running out of the cafeteria into the hallway, hands buried in my face, crying, absolutely hurt by what she said.

 _Who would want to go out with you?_

I was sitting on the floor near my locker, hands buried in my head, my blond hair sprawled around me, as I continued to sob.

 _Why did they always make fun of me? Why do they pick on me? I_ _just want to have one friend in school! Just one friend who cares about me!_

 _One friend to remain with me..._

Percy had come out of the hallways. He had a worried look on his face as he approached me, one of pure concern. When I took note of Percy, I shooed away from him.

 _He's just going to judge me. He's going to think I'm weak. That I'm pathetic Annabeth.._

 _"G..Go away P...Percy"_ I shouted, trying to hold back my tears, stuttering. However, I couldn't help but continue to cry.

 _"Never, I'm your friend,"_ he softly replied, coming close to me.

 _"Just go, Percy!"_ I begged, trying to make Percy go away. However, he didn't relent. Instead, Percy grabbed me and put his arms around my body, pulling me into an embrace.

I can still almost remember how warm and nice Percy felt. How soft. Open. _And loving._ Percy's embrace always had a way to calm me down. To make me feel better. Even just his presence brought about this feeling. I remembered sobbing still on his shoulder, asking Percy this simple question, one that I had been asking since I was small.

 _"Why do they keep making fun of me, not only Nancy, all of the kids? I don't know why! They've been doing that ever since elementary school!"_

 _"It's because they're all jealous. They know they're not as smart or funny as you."_ Percy had replied, continuing to comfort me. " _They're not as determined and strong as you! How many kids already know what they want to be when they grow up? I barely know what I want to do when I get home."_

 _"They're probably also jealous beca_ use _they're not as pretty as you..."_

 _"Wait. Y..you think I'm pretty?"_

I had looked on at Percy in shock. Absolutely stunned. Stunned that he would call me that. A boy had never called me pretty, let alone even cared about or noticed my looks before. They were usually the ones who told me to go. To find someone else to play with.

Hearing my best friend call me pretty brought about new emotions.

 _Pretty. He was talking about me! I'm..I'm pretty!_

I could still remember giggling and laughing, giving Percy a kiss on the cheek. I just felt so happy. All that shit Nancy said seemed to disappear as Percy said those words.

 _I felt like I was in love with him._

Hearing Percy call me pretty in my head, I started to find myself feeling renewed energy and confidence; as we approached the final meters of the race, my fingers began to play with the beads of my friendship necklace, a constant reminder that Percy was with me.

Percy always said I always had so much talent and ability. That he was confident in me.

 _Why the fuck wasn't I? Why was I so worried about Drew?_ _Who the fuck was she to say I was pathetic?_

 _You can do this Annabeth. I know you can_ Percy's voice began to say.

I used that sudden burst of energy and confidence to sprint ahead, catching a Drew, who was already planning to rub in my face her victory, off-guard.

"Whoa, what the.."

I crossed the finish line first, beating a stunned Drew by inches.

"Annabeth Chase! Winner against Drew Tanaka!" the coach announced. "Good job Annabeth, as always!" she said, smiling.

"I won Drew." I flatly stated, giving a little smile. "Good match?"

"YES! YES! OH MY GODS! OH MY GODS! WHAT A COMEBACK! OH, MY FREAKING...AHH YOU'RE SO FUCKING AWESOME ANNABETH! THANK YOU FOR DEFEATING DREW! JUST THANK YOU!" Piper yelped as she ran down the bleachers and tackled me in a big bear hug.

"Girl that was amazing. Of course, that was amazing, you're Annabeth freaking Chase." Silena commented.

"Hmph. I could've done better." Leo mumbled though he was giving me a grin. Calypso shook her head.

"I would like to see you race against Annabeth. I would pay good money to see the _Leonator_ get his butt kicked."

"You're making me reconsider going to Lombardi's with you Kaly." Leo moaned as Calypso laughed. And I couldn't help but laugh to.

"We should celebrate! Ooo thank goodness we're going to Rachel's house!" Hazel squealed.

"Yep. Girls only! Um, sorry, Frank. " Rachel added giving a sheepish grin as she took note of Frank.

"Nah. None took Rachel. I don't want to hear you girls talk smack about Drew over popcorn and Netflix. The guys and I are going to go to the Garden now." Frank replied, giving a grin as the girls laughed.

"Hey, you won Annabeth!" Luke said out loud as he came near me, flashing a smile. He gave me a hug, which took me off guard.

"You know, secretly, I was rooting for you the entire time Annabeth. Drew is such a fucking sore winner it's annoying."

I laughed. I hesitantly returned Luke's hug. It felt..nice.

Yet, I couldn't help but think that memory from before. Of Percy embracing me when I was crying. How his hug felt so different. So warm. Soothing me instantly.

 _I missed it._

I tried to clear these thoughts and continue. "Well I.. I guess I did everyone a favor by winning. "

Luke smiled. He then looked over at a Drew, who was still in a state of shock, sort of like the Saints when they faced the Vikings in the playoffs and lost at the very last second.

 **(Sorry. Football reference! It's the NFL playoffs gals and girls I can't help it ;))**

"I lost. I had a lead than I lost it. How did I just fucking lose?" Drew muttered, in a spell-bound state.

"Um, I'm going to see whether Drew is okay. She's probably still dazed. See you around Annabeth?" he asked.

"Yeah. Definitely." Luke gave another smile as he then left, leaving me to my own thoughts.

 _Hmm, it's..nice to have Luke as a friend. Especially the good kind of Luke._

"Alright, Annabeth! We'll be seeing you soon at Rachel's! Party hardy for defeating Drew!" Piper yelled.

"Yes! But ugh, if I know Annabeth, she's probably going to put some weird show for us to watch." Silena groaned.

I laughed. "Alright, girls. Of course, I'll come. Just have to get changed first."

The girls all smiled as they took off to head to the subway. Rachel had stayed though, looking at me.

"You, um, what time you coming Annabeth?" she asked, giving an uneasy look. "There's going to be someone you want to talk to.. we're going to be hanging out and stuff!" Rachel examined, looking a bit sheepish.

"I might be coming at 7. I'm gonna grab something to eat first and Samantha asked me to get some supplies for home."

"Cool. Cool. That's perfect. See you there!" Rachel finally exclaimed, as she went off in the direction of the subway, leaving me be to go and change my clothes.

 _Rachel's acting weird today. But she's Rachel so maybe that explains it._

I then headed into the girl's locker room, carefully avoiding Drew, who was still super pissed. I started smiling at myself as I took a shower, still feeling super pumped for kicking Drew's ass.

 _Really shouldn't mess with the Wise Girl!_ Percy's voice began to ring.

Hearing that voice, I thought back to that little memory of Percy comforting me when I was young. It felt so real and vivid; his praise of me I could replay over and over and never get bored of. I couldn't get enough of.

 _You're really pretty Annabeth._ _Most beautiful girl in the world._

I felt so much better hearing that. Happier. Stronger and more vigor. Whenever Percy was praising and encouraging me, I wasn't pathetic little Annabeth. I was confident Annabeth. One that could do anything. That knew of her abilities. That could journey through the pits of Tartarus and survive.

 _Knowing that Percy was there with me._

 _I missed hearing his words. I..I missed hearing Percy.._

A harsh truth then began to set in as I stood there alone in the locker room, fiddling my friendship necklace. One that didn't register for this whole month. One that I wanted to avoid, a truth that was plain in sight, yet I kept trying to pretend wasn't there.

I couldn't talk to Percy anymore. I couldn't turn to Percy whenever I had a problem, issue, or needed confidence. I would never be able to recreate seeing and hearing Percy for real. Unable to recreate his beautiful, soft, gentle voice. The Seaweed Brain-isms he would throw at me, which were annoying yet so endearing now.

I never realized it but talking to Percy was almost a necessity. I began to weirdly panic for the track competition tomorrow, though I had won that event in the past.

 _I don't feel confident in myself. I ..I can't do it! I can't..._

And there was no Percy to say no to that and prove me wrong.

I miss Percy. I miss talking to him. I just want to hear his voice, even for a littl _e._

 _I need to._

* * *

 **Loved One**

 **(Percy POV)**

It was Friday now. A full month since I moved to Washington D.C. I was in my first-period Greek mythology class, talking with Will and Nico.

I didn't have much planned today; hanging out with Tyson, Will, and Nico at Gallery Place. Invite them over to play some PS4. Will had been talking some major smack to his boyfriend about his NBA 2k skills so they were eager for the chance to face one another. I was also planning on talking to some of my friends in New York; I kept in contact with a few close friends of mine; Grover, Piper, Hazel, and Rachel, which was nice.

 _Not Annabeth though..._

I sighed again as Annabeth entered my mind. For once, I didn't try to suppress the thought of her. Usually, on Fridays, the both of us would plan something together. Eating out. Movies. Even just a simple walk through downtown New York. It never got too boring hanging out with Annabeth; Wise Girl always had a knack to make me annoyed yet at the same time absolutely savor each second with her.

And after a full month, I STILL hadn't talked to Annabeth at all. I really missed our conversations. The Wise Girl-isms she would always throw. The mere sound of her beautiful voice, something I dearly missed and craved.

 _Gods, when am I ever going to talk to Annabeth again..._

Back in class Reyna, as usual, arrived in late as Miss Franklin was on the board writing down today's assignment. She had some loud hard rock music blaring on her phone as she swaggered into class.

"Reyna! Music! And, not to mention, LATE!" Miss Franklin yelled, not looking away from the board.

"It's Friday," Reyna responded.

"Don't play smart with me. So just stop." Miss Franklin repeated giving a side glance to Reyna.

"Ugh fine." Reyna muttered. She then sat down and put her legs up on the desk, proceeding to zone out, flipping through her phone.

Miss Franklin rolled her eyes and sighed. "What am I gonna do with you. Okay, class, listen up!" Miss Franklin stated as she turned to face us. "As you know, we have our BIG project on Greek/Roman gods due in three weeks. It will be a major part of your final grade for the year. You will get to choose from your group the Roman/Greek gods/goddesses that interest you the most."

Though Reyna still tried to look zoned out, her eyes raised up at the mention of Greek/Roman mythology.

"From there, it's up to you to decide how you want to present them to the class! Presentation? Video? Your choice!"

"Oh that's.. interesting for once." Reyna noted, sitting up in her chair.

"Ah, finally the cool girl thinks something I am assigning is cool." the teacher responded, smiling, which got the snickers of some of the kids. "You will be in groups of fours of my choosing." Miss Franklin then began to name the groups of students.

Finally, she got to us.

"Nico. Will. Percy. Reyna. You four will work together."

"Mmm. The cool girl is finally interested in doing some work here, huh?" Will snickered as Reyna went to the back, making Nico and I laugh..

Reyna shot Will a death glare. It was more reserved, though than usual. "Shut up." she muttered as she took her notebook out. "I just happen to find Roman/Greek mythology quite interesting. Care to disagree?" Reyna asked as she clenched her fist, eyes assuming a challenging look.

"No. Greek/Roman mythology cool. Continue."

Reyna then cleared her throat. She stood up firm and straight in her chair and looked at all of us.

"Alright." Reyna began, voice booming and exhibiting confidence. "We're going to split up the research. Two of us focus on the Roman gods and two Greek. Percy is with me. Will with Nico. You two focus on the Greeks."

"Ugh, do I have to work with Nico?" Will asked. "If Nico says one more stupid nickname at me again.."

"Oh stop being a wuss Willie." Nico groaned as he gave his boyfriend a playful slap.

Reyna gave a little smile and rolled her eyes, though she tried to hide it. "Glad you two are getting along. Okay, I'm asking that Nico research the more minor Olympian gods while Will does the more major ones."

"Ugh, really? Reyna, why can't Will and I choose among ourselves who to research? I never get to choose what I want to do in these sort of things. Miss Franklin stated that's what we're supposed to do! I REALLY want to research Apollo and Hades! And I believe Will is very interested in Poseidon and Demeter."

"Nico. Please do not question my rationale for what tasks I assign each member of this project legion. I really don't like that." Reyna replied, eyebrows scrunched, frown visible.

"Really Reyna? You're not going to let me choose what I want to do?"

"No, I'm not. Nico, this is not only for your own good but for the whole team. That sometimes requires that you make some sacrifices such as not being able to do what you want to do. So this is final Nico."

"Ugh, fine! I'll do what you want _ma'am."_ Nico mumbled some bitterness present.

"Good. So, we'll meet in the library after school to get a head-start on research. That sounds good to everyone?"

"What? Reyna! Are you kidding me? It's a Friday!" the three of us all moaned out loud to her. "We're going to go to Gallery Place!"

"Guys. I said do NOT question me please!"

"Reyna! The project is due in THREE weeks! We have so much time! Can't you, like, chill?" I asked her, shaking my head.

"First, I don't _chill._ Second, the three weeks means we have more time to research and work on our presentations to get a better grade. Don't you all want a better grade?"

"Reyna? You're freaking serious?!" Will began.

"Guys, I will repeat this again and for the last time. Please do not question my rationale! I'm doing what's best for you all by doing our research early! Can't you all appreciate that?"

"Ugh! That's it Reyna! That's it!" Nico finally yelled, looking at Reyna with anger. "First, you boss us around. Then you ruin my plans after school! Gods, you don't even let me choose for myself!" he screamed.

"Nico please understand, I'm doing this for you..."

"It's like you don't care about my input or opinions! That you don't want to do what I'd like to do. Like you don't care for me at all!" Reyna had a pained look on her face. Nico's words were hurting her more than I expected. That stoic expression of hers starting to crack a bit.

"I..I do care for you.." she said in a soft, almost whisper voice, though barely audible.

"And you've been acting more bitchy as well! Acting like you don't care about anything, that you're too 'cool' for shit."

"Those two things are unrelated Nico.."

"No! They're not! It's about who Reyna is! Who's the real Reyna? Is it the one that I knew from elementary and middle school? Nice, caring, personable? Or the one right now? Uptight. Bitchy. Bossy. Never wanting to have fun."

"I..."

"Come on Will. Let's go. I'm not going to the library after school. I'm sorry Reyna." Nico finally said as he grabbed his boyfriend, the two moving to a desk near the front of the class.

Reyna had a far off look on her face as Nico moved. She looked exhausted as if these sort of things happened to her on an almost daily basis. Those piercing blacks eyes of hers looking deflated and down now. She had an extremely sad look on her face, one that I've never seen before. She didn't make any attempt to hide it. To mask like so many times before.

"Why does this keep happening? Why! Why can't people appreciate what I try to do for them.." Reyna sighed under her breath, as she turned away from me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Um, Reyna," I asked. "Are..are we still up for the library in the afternoon?" I asked, cautiously looking at her.

"I'm calling it off. Seems like you all don't care or respect what I'm trying to do for you all." she muttered, sharpness in her voice. I could also sense some slight hurt to it though Reyna tried her best to cover it up.

I should've left the conversation at there; I was looking forward to hanging out with the guys and Tyson after school. And this Reyna girl seemed extremely lost in her past problems. Considering my own heartbreak and issues with Annabeth, I didn't really need to be involved in some others.

But I felt a need to help Reyna. To find out what was bothering her.

 _Why a seemingly nice girl was acting two ways.._

"Reyna. It's okay. I'm not doing much after school. So I guess I'll do something as productive as research with you." I said, flashing a polite smile at her. Reyna looked over at me, eyes wide in disbelief, as I said that.

"You're serious?" she asked, looking at me, still not believing.

"Yeah. Of course, if you still want to make use of this extra time we have for the presentation."

Reyna gave a little smile in appreciation of that. "Okay. I'll meet you at the library after school Percy."

* * *

 ***later in library***

After school, I headed over to the Jupiter High School Library, my mind still occupied with what happened before between Reyna and Nico. A little phrase Reyna had uttered.

 _Why does this keep happening? Why! Why can't people appreciate what I try to do for them.._

Entering, I peered around a bit, trying to find any sign of Nico but no luck. Nico was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, he had had enough of Reyna and was already out of school with his boyfriend.

I found Reyna already in the middle of the library, surrounded by a bunch of Roman and Greek mythology books, black eyes intent on the material at hand. Reyna had let her glossy hair down, falling shoulder length to her shoulders.

Even though it wasn't a big aesthetic change, she looked REALLY different. Less uptight. Worrying. More relaxed.

 _More..Reyna._

"You're here." she stated as I came down the stairs and sat on the chair adjacent to hers.

"Yeah of course. Ready to knock my brains out with all these super boring books."

Reyna flashed a little grin. However, that stoic Reyna look I always came to expect came back again, which made me groan to myself.

 _Ugh, can she just stop that act for once and act normal._

"Alright, here's what we're going to do Percy," she said in an authoritative voice, clearing her throat. "Skim through this book and find some interesting facts about Roman history. Write them down. I'll do some research on the Roman goddesses. I'm choosing Bellona and Minerva. No arguing please".

"I won't be doing that. Learned my lesson from Nico."

Reyna gave a nod. However, she looked a bit pained, like she was still thinking about her argument with Nico from previously.

"Let's..let's just go and do our projects, Percy, alright?" she finally said as she opened her book. For the next few minutes, Reyna and I were reading. However, I zoned out a bit in the middle. Since I have a PS4, books are kind of the last thing that are used in the house. Further, for me, Greek history is much more interesting than Roman. Maybe I'm biased cause my dad is Greek but I firmly stand by my position; no matter how many times Annabeth explained it to me, I was still puzzled by how a city could so casually let in a giant wooden horse and let it chill out in the open for the night. There should've been a BIG BIG question mark for why the hell someone was giving you a big wooden horse.

Finally, I've also self-diagnosed myself with dyslexia; I could never finish a book in one go without my brain fuzzing the words, brain playing an annoying mind trick on me.

Out of boredom, I took my phone out and decided to scroll around and see what was up on social media. Nico had sent me a text message, asking where I was. I texted that I was with Reyna. Nico had a rather..harsh response to that information.

Reyna, who had been focusing on her book very closely, took note of my extended reading break. She gave a little fierce look. "Percy, please put the phone away and get back to reading."

"Um, sorry Reyna. Got distracted. Let me just send a quick text to Nico then I'll put it away."

Reyna winced as she heard Nico's name. "May I ask what the contents of his text message was?" she slowly asked.

"You..you don't want to know. It's not good." I quickly said.

"It's okay Percy. I've been called .. many things in the past."

"Reyna. Really. I don't think you should.." Reyna suddenly came next to me, snatching my phone from my hands.

"Hey!"

She took a look at the message Nico sent me. Her curious eyes began to gloom as she read the text.

 ** _Nico: Reyna is such a fucking, unfun, strict bitch Percy! She always thinks she can boss people around. She cares more about her outer "appearance" than me or anything. I used to like Reyna but now I freaking HATE her!_**

At the sight of this text message, Reyna got down. For the first time, the sharp, fierceness of her eyes began to go away, replaced with softness and vulnerability. Her usually hard expression was one of full sadness now as she stared blankly at her friend's message.

 _Emotions._

Reyna was showing her emotions. Her hurt by Nico's text message. Finally, after a long look, Reyna slowly gave me my phone back and let out an exhale. "Let's get back to work." she flatly noted, reopening her Roman mythology book.

"Reyna.." I started as she began to open her book to a random page, face full of bitterness

"Percy we need to get back to work. Now! That's an order. You still have two more books to read."

"What? Reyna! It's a Friday for goodness sake!" I exclaimed. "Just chill a bit."

"Percy, I said I do not _chill._ Especially when two guys in a group do not perform their duties."

"Fine if you don't want to chill! But you can't expect Nico, Will, and I to follow what you do! You just can't!"

"Percy. I HATE it when people in my own project legion question.." she started to say, her voice slowly rising.

"Reyna! You're not just the boss. Nico is right. We're a team! We can't have one person telling everyone what to do! You have to let others contribute. You have to stop being so strict. Let up a bit! Learn to have fun with them!"

Reyna stared at me for a while. Eventually, a wave of ferocious anger overtook her. She got up and looked at me in the eyes, a fierce warrior look assuming them.

"Have you ever led a project Percy, huh? Have you! Do you know what the fuck it's like to be in charge of things? To have responsibility placed on you! DO YOU? And, on top of that, to have people not appreciate the shit you have to deal with for them? The shit you go through to help them. EVER!" she finally said to me, yelling out loud. She was clenching her fists. Her piercing black eyes were full of anger. Hurt. One that showed a past full of a lot of shit.

Reyna's mask was off now. The one she had on whenever she was around with people. Underneath, the real Reyna.

"Reyna.." I began.

Reyna, realizing what she did, attempted to put that mask back on, calming herself. For a split second, she was her old Reyna. She then looked over at me, a calm, fake look of _everything's okay. Everything's fine!_

"I'm sorry that happened Percy. Forgive me. Please ignore that. We should get back to working on our project, okay?"

"Reyna. What's wrong?" I calmly asked as I looked at her. "What's wrong."

"Percy. Like I said. That was just..something. Ignore that."

"Reyna. I'm not going to ignore that. You were screaming at me. In the library. Please tell me what's wrong now."

"It was nothing Percy. Trust me. I have lots of things going on currently."

"Reyna that was NOT nothing. It was something! You need to stop saying it wasn't! So just tell me!"

"Percy Jackson, stop! STOP! I demand you to stop! NOW!" she screamed, trying to use her authoritative voice on me as if I was one of her soldiers and Reyna expected me to follow it without question.

However, I didn't (I didn't care for rules much if you could guess).

"Reyna, as your friend, I'm NOT going to stop!" I responded, my voice raising, looking at her with some frustration in my green eyes. This was similar to how Annabeth would act when something was bothering or hurting her. This denial of it and saying that everything was alright, putting a fake disguise on.

I HATED that quality in Annabeth. And seeing it in Reyna made me think of Annabeth too much it fucking hurt.

"I'm not going to stop because this is NOT you! This is not Reyna! I might not know you that well but I KNOW that you're not bitchy. You're not mean. You don't even fucking like Clarisse and hanging out with her! I know you're a caring person on the inside. A sweet person like Nico said. That's why Nico is angry at you! He's right. You're NOT like this! So stop with the fake shit and let up!"

Reyna looked at me for a second. For a while, I was worried she would push me or judo-throw me. However, eventually, she gave a big sigh. Her shoulders started to sag.

In a low but calm voice, Reyna started to speak. "Percy, I DO care for Nico. A lot." she slowly said, easing her body up. "I've been his friend since 5th grade. I consider him like a brother and it wouldn't be wrong to assume the opposite is true."

"I can see that," I commented.

"Nico was an interesting kid. Childish admittedly. Mythomagic was his obsession back then too, which absolutely AGGRAVATED me as it did for you. But there is a darker side to him. Some bitterness. A quality that was dangerous for Nico. A fatal flaw almost if you can call it that. Holding a grudge."

"A.. a grudge?"

"Yes," Reyna then peered around the library, seeing whether anyone was listening to our conversation. It was empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, she then went close to me. "Please do not mention to Nico I told you this. I promised that I wouldn't mention it to anyone. But Nico used to have another sister before Hazel. A "real" sister so to speak, biological. Her name was Bianca Di Angelo."

"Really? Nico..Nico never told me that."

"I would be surprised if Nico DID share that information. Bianca, unfortunately, passed away when Nico was young Percy. Died in an unfortunate car accident in New York." I looked at Reyna in shock as she made mention of this news.

"Oh my goodness! That's..that's terrible! I..I can't believe how Nico could've dealt with that."

"I don't know either. Nico acts childish but there's a level of maturity in him that is unseen in any other kid of his age. Uncommon. Even worse, he held a grudge against Bianca for a long time."

"What. Why?"

"He held a grudge on her for leaving. Leaving him too soon. Leaving him by himself, with no one. It's not rational thinking but you can't blame Nico for that; he was only a child when this tragedy happened."

"Oh, my goodness Nico.." I started to say, overwhelming sympathy going out to him. I could've never imagined so much angst and tragedy in a scrawny boy who played a dumb, stupid card game for entertainment.

"It's okay Percy. Nico has thankfully gotten over it. When he discovered he had a half-sister in Hazel, he was ecstatic. He also knew he had me as a friend to count on. He's grown much since then. But I still remember how Nico was back then. Volatile. Easily manipulatable. If he were asked to do something bad, the gods know he probably would've done so."

"That's why you're so strict with him! You don't want Nico to do something bad. To revert back to his past behavior."

Reyna nodded her head. She had a slightly impressed look on her face as I came to that conclusion. "I don't tell him that Percy. He would not approve of what my goal is. But yeah, basically. Not only for the little things but when it comes to finding friends, making choices. It's tough love, admittedly, but it's still love in the end."

I looked on and nodded, seeing Reyna in a new light. However, something still perturbed me.

 _Why would she place that much responsibility on herself? Also, Clarisse. Fucking Clarisse._

"Why do you put so much pressure on yourself to do that Reyna? It's unnecessary. Nico might be childish but he's grown up like you said. He can care for himself."

"I feel it's an obligation on my part to make sure Nico is alright. Doing well. And I am extremely strict with what happens with those I consider family."

"That might be true. But can't you let up a bit? No offense but you are a bit of a tight-ass. Also, Clarisse isn't exactly a great model for you to emulate and pass on to others."

Reyna sighed. She started to fiddle a bit with a necklace chain she had around her neck. It was silver/gold, with the designs of two dogs, hounds if I'm not mistaken, on them.

"Admittedly, there are multiple times I do not approve of Clarisse's..actions."

"But why do you like her then still. Why?"

"I don't like her. I..admire some things."

"What is there to admire?

"Percy, please. We need to get back to work. We have so much left to do and there's so little.."

"Reyna I'm not letting this question go unless you answer it."

Reyna glared at me, her eyes getting fierce again. "You're really a stubborn guy, aren't you?"

"Yes, I've..been told that." I softly replied, Annabeth crossing my mind. "So put up or shut up."

"OK! You know what? I'll tell you, Percy Jackson! I'll fucking tell you! You know why I admire her? Cause Clarisse LOOKS like she knows what the fuck's she's doing. I DON'T. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing!" Reyna exclaimed, her voice getting loud.

"Reyna..." I stated, surprised by her sudden outburst.

"I don't have a clue Percy! People think I'm all confident and shit. That I have direction in my life. That I'm calm. That knows what's going to come. That's all bs! I'm scared. Worried, like any other fucking vulnerable mortal here."

"Reyna hey calm down.."

"You have no idea, Percy. No fucking idea what it's like to lose someone you love a lot. No idea at all!" she groaned in a painful voice as Reyna grabbed her books, about to head out, clearly having enough of this conversation.

 _You have no fucking idea what it's like to lose someone you love a lot._

"Reyna, I do know what it's like to lose someone you love." I suddenly told her out loud.

Reyna, who was about to exit, the library, looked back. Her eyes, angered, began to soften as they looked at mines, which were assuming pained.

"What.."

"This person didn't die Reyna. She's still around. But I don't talk to her anymore. I was .. _hurt_ by her," I continued as some painful memories began to flood me of Annabeth. "I was hurt by this girl. A girl I was really close with. A girl I knew since I was young. A girl I cared for a lot. And cared for me too. She said some.. things to me. And I was hurt by them.."

"Percy, I'm sorry." Reyna slowly said as she came close to me. She put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I..I can tell she means a lot to you.

"She does. She means SO much to me." I said, fighting back the heartbreak and emotions at the thought of Annabeth. However, I then cleared my throat and looked straight at Reyna

"So I DO know what it feels like to lose someone you love Reyna." I then said, trying to make my voice firm, sea green eyes full of seriousness but also sympathy. "So please tell me, Reyna. Tell me."

Reyna, for a second, had an uneasy look on her face. However, as I continued to stare at her, she eased up. As Reyna started to speak, her eyes were closed the entire time.

"Percy, before I was in mainland America, I used to live in Puerto Rico. I lived with my dad and older sister, Hylla, who I used to be super close with."

"You said _used to_." I noted.

Reyna's face grimaced, hardening. Her eyes were still closed but I could sense some pain coming from them, memories of the past flooding through her. I could almost imagine they would be dull now. "Yes, _used_ to. I and Hylla used to do everything together, like good, loving sisters would. Played. Talk. Complain about the annoying boys in our school. Made each other some amazing Huevos Rancheros. People say I made it great but Hylla's was the shit." Reyna said, a little smile forming on her face, nostalgia taking over her.

 **(Between, I have no clue about Mexican dishes lol. I just got this dish from reading GirlishlyGreek a.k.a Kat's Sworn off Love. If she happens to read this at all, thanks for the inspiration. Yeah weird A/N, I know but eh. Credit where credit is due)**

"I can tell you loved Hylla a lot." I commented, giving a little smile.

"Yes. Family means everything, Percy. It means so much. I would do anything to protect them. I love Hylla a lot. Just, love is such a strong, powerful emotion. And there was no one I loved as much as Hylla."

I nodded, understanding her, Annabeth flashing in my mind as Reyna said the word _love._

"We lived with our dad in a small two-bedroom house. Only dad. Dad was alright. I mean, he used to just spend his days couped on in the living room watching futbol on tv, playing cards with his buddies, but he didn't bother my sister and I when we were playing, hanging out, or sleeping. So it was good."

"However, dad decided to move to mainland America when we were in around 1st or 2nd grade. He had a job offer in Washington D.C to work for the U.S military. I was optimistic and hopeful about mainland America; Puerto Rico was beautiful but the mainland I heard was great, the people, scenery, especially D.C. There were also some nice elementary schools there as well. Hylla, though, took it harshly. She loved Puerto Rico. She loved the neighborhood, the food, people, her friends, our beautiful house. We also had two dogs, hounds, named Aurum and Argentum, which we both loved very dearly."

"Mmm. At least you took your dogs to D.C, right?"

Reyna gave out an exhale as I asked that question. "We couldn't Percy. We had to leave the dogs behind. They weren't allowed to board with us. I remember being so sad when I found that out. It was hard to let go of those two. The dogs were my companions."

"I'm sorry for that Reyna." I slowly replied as I put a hand on her. Reyna opened her eyes, noticing my action. She was a bit taken aback. However, as I gave a little encouraging a smile, Reyna nodded her head, appreciating the gesture.

"In the end, dad had asked us our input on moving one dinner. I can still vividly remember the argument being so heated and intense. Hylla refused to want to move, shouting at both us. I was more open to the idea. In the end, the conversation didn't have any impact on dad's decision regardless. But Hylla thought that way. She's never forgiven me for that. So we moved. Slowly, we began to adjust to life here in the U.S. I was able to make friends in school quite quickly. However, Hylla was less fortunate. She still clung on to her old life in Puerto Rico, wanting it back. She didn't want to make new friends and Hylla had a lot of trouble acclimating to her new setting. But everything seemed okay. Hylla and I were still pretty close."

"But then the Iraqi War happened."

"I didn't know why dad needed to serve. He used to be a Marine before he entered the government. But dad always had this sense of duty. This sense of attachment to his country. Loyalty. It's just the battle instincts in us. I guess that's why I hate when people question me. I don't ask questions Percy. I just do what I'm told and do the task as best as I could, like a soldier on a battlefield."

"Wish I could do the same but I hate following orders." I muttered. Reyna gave a little laugh at my joke. However, her expression turned to serious again. "So dad fought. The Americans won, of course, and my dad came back alive and hailed a hero in D.C. However, it was not without a huge cost. My dad returned home super fucked up. Changed. A completely different person. Continually, he started to have hallucinations. PTSD. Images of the war were the only thing he could see now; I would sometimes witness dad on the couch, watching futbol, only to be screaming and crying, those terrifying war images he experienced overtaking him. The Iraqi War fucked up so many people Percy, the carnage that they and my dad saw. That's why I hate fighting. People say I can fight but I'd prefer not to. Only when truly necessary. Violence has its terrible tolls, Percy. That's why I found it admirable that you were able to control yourself when Clarisse was asking for a fight with you."

"It was no big deal. It was the right thing to do. I..was reminded of that." I said, my mind going back to that day, the voice of 12-year-old Annabeth so vivid in my head.

 _Don't do it Percy! Don't._

"And I very much aspire to do the same. To have that sort of self-awareness. Anyways, Dad's warlike nature inevitably became projected to others. He started to act more violently, operating as if the war was still going on. Little things at first. His language. Then body demeanor. He started to drink more often. Refuse to drop me and Hylla to school. Then..his actions. My dad started to hit us on occasion. Hylla especially. I didn't know why she got the brunt of it. She shouldn't have. I would've taken it for her no question about it. But she did."

"Oh, my goodness Reyna. That's so fucked up."

"I know. The both of us tolerated it for a while though. But eventually, it got worse and worse. It was then that one night..." Reyna took a deep breath, preparing herself, even more painful memories hitting her in droves. I decided to put a hand on her shoulder again, comforting Reyna, urging her to slow down and take her time. Reyna didn't seem to relent like before; she gave a smile to me and put an arm on my hand.

 **(A/N: Some slight violence upcoming. Nothing major imo but I wanted to give you guys a heads-up if you're not comfortable with it)**

"My sister and I were in our room, doing our math homework. I was already in 3rd grade. That night, my dad was out, drinking again with his friends. We savored those moments that dad wasn't in the house. It was extremely peaceful. But of course, he came back. And he was super drunk. Drunker than ANY other night. I cautiously took Hylla away, trying to hide her, knowing inevitably that dad's anger would come out on to her. But unfortunately, he came into the room. He started to scream, cursing at us, saying we were the enemy, that we needed to be eliminated. Dad was clearly having his hallucinations again. He started to come to us, trying to grab us, hitting us. I was able to get away thankfully. I hid behind my bed in time before dad could attack me. Hylla, though, was not as lucky. She was exposed and didn't hide in time. Dad came close to her, trying to grab her. She was able to get free for a second. However, he had a beer bottle in his hand. Angrily and drunkenly, he threw it at Hylla."

"I remember watching the whole thing, shocked. Paralyzed. There was my own dad attacking my sister, who was looking at him in shock too. Hylla was bleeding quite a lot, her head cut, nose dripping blood. There was some sharp beer bottle glass around her, also covered in blood. I immediately went to grab my cellphone as dad just stood there, semi-realizing what he'd done, a little stunned as well. Hylla tried to stop me, crying out loud, saying, Reyna, _no! Don't call the police! They're going to take daddy away!_ However, as soon as the shock wore over, his drunkness overtook him again, he looked on again at me, his eyes bloodshot and thirsty, as if I was the next target. I didn't have a choice, Percy. I called the police. They immediately arrived, taking dad away in cuffs and to the police station, Hylla and me to a nearby hospital." Reyna said, tone turning regretful in the end.

"Reyna. You did the right thing! Your dad was acting crazy! You needed to save Hylla. You shouldn't regret that! Calling the police was the right and only response."

"I know. But still, he's our dad Percy. As much of an asshole he was, he was our dad. When the police took him away, we were sent to child services. We had to vacate the house, move, be put in charge of a foster. Hylla was so devastated; it was moving from Puerto Rico all over again for her. Even worse, she was much closer to dad then I was. I believe she still saw him as the dad that she grew up with in Puerto Rico, the rather tame one than the drunk one from Iraq."

"Hylla was wrong though! You're dad wasn't the same after Iraq. She should know that she was trying to protect you! That you only did it to save her."

Reyna sighed. "The police tried to tell her. I tried to tell her. But Hylla refused to listen. Like with Puerto Rico, she blamed it all on me. All this nonsense and change she hated in her life on me."

"Reyna. Know that you WEREN'T responsible for all this. You weren't! You should not feel that way! You were trying to protect yourself and your sister!"

Reyna's already gloomy mood grew gloomier as I told her that. "You're the wrong person to express that sentiment Percy." she slowly uttered. "We continued to be in child services for some weeks. I tried my very best to make my older sister happy. Played with her as much as I could. Hanged out. Brought her some cool stuff for her birthday. Did everything in my power to make her love me again. But Hylla still hated me. She kept saying _if you hadn't done anything dad would be here! We would still be together. In our house. We would still be in Puerto Rico!"_

"Eventually, the both of us had a chance to move to the South. Hylla immediately jumped at the chance. She decided down to move to Florida, wanting to get away from me, wanting to start life again as if she thought she could. When I found out her choice, I was so devastated. Devastated that I..I would lose someone I loved a lot. "Reyna had her eyes closed at the end, gritting her teeth, sniffling. Her body seemed so lifeless and out of energy, vulnerable, as she thought about her sister. Reyna didn't want to but a little tear started to fall from one of her eyes.

"But it was her choice Percy; her own choice. One that I must respect and move on with." she finally said, wiping the tear away and clearing her throat. "Ever since I haven't seen or talked to her. I believe now she should be a freshman in college. And I don't even have the faintest of ideas of what college she would be in. I miss her. I would do anything to talk to Hylla again," she croaked, her voice trailing in the end, those emotions coming back to her as much as she didn't want them to.

"Hey, it's okay Reyna. Don't be afraid to let out your emotions." I said as I went beside Reyna and put both my arms on her shoulders. "You miss your sister. It's okay to feel that way. Like I mentioned, I know what you're feeling right now. To..to love someone you love." I slowly said, mind on Annabeth.

I hadn't talked to Annabeth in a month. And I could barely handle it. Yet, I couldn't imagine being unable to talk to someone you love for _years_.

 _I couldn't do that._

Suddenly, a lightbulb moment flashed in my brain. The pieces connecting together. "That's why you admire Clarisse! You think she has everything under control! That she's in charge of things! That she knows what she's doing. And that's why you're strict with Nico! You don't want the same thing to Hylla happening to Nico!"

Reyna looked at me, impressed. She gave a sigh and a little nod. "You're much smarter than you let on Percy Jackson. I guess you're right. I do not admire Clarisse's attitude. But she has this confidence in her that I admire. This certainty in conducting herself. This attitude that every decision she's doing is the right one. She knows what she wants. She's a _leader_. It also isn't bad she praises me for what I do. Albeit, for rather dumb things but it's praise. Praise I've never received. Recognition of the things I tried to do to protect Hylla. My family. Of the sacrifices I made. As for Nico, he is my family currently. My only family. And I will be as protective of him as possible."

"Reyna. I understand that. I do. But being someone you're not isn't the correct answer. It isn't!"

"Percy, sometimes its better to pretend to be something your not rather than be something you are. And what I am is clueless and vulnerable like anyone else. A person who drew away someone she loved a lot. Who can't even reveal her true emotions to someone in a coherent manner!" Reyna declared, sighing for what felt like the hundredth time in our conversation. I looked into her black eyes, almost looking grey and dull. As I peered closely into them, I could see for the first time how scared she was. Unsure.

 _How truly saddened and hurt._

This was the real Reyna I'm seeing, not the bitchy one that she tried to project to everyone in the school. To her friends.

"Reyna, for the record, I'm not a big fan of bitchy Reyna. She whooped my ass in basketball. So I'd like to see what the other Reyna will look like. I'm sure it would be much lovelier." I joked, flashing a sarcastic grin. Though Reyna was still lost in her emotions, a little smile appeared on her face. For the first time, I felt like this was Reyna's real smile.

It felt genuine and nice to see.

"Reyna, look, I know what you're going through. I know. But it's NOT your fault. It's not. You did all you could for Hylla. All of it out of love. And you should know that deep down, Hylla knows that. She knows you love her. And you shouldn't place all this responsibility all on yourself for Nico. He's a smart kid. He knows what he's doing. You gotta trust him." I then looked up at the time. It was about a quarter to five.

"Come on. Let's just finish this studying. It's a Friday afternoon Reyna! The project isn't due for three weeks from now. And, sorry, I'm going to procrastinate no matter what you say. That's just me. Will and Nico are probably going to do that as well so don't get all Reyna on me."

Reyna did not seem offended by me questioning her. In fact, she started to laugh, harder than before and rolled her eyes. That was relieving to see.

"Should've expected this behavior from a bunch of boys. And I don't know what _get all Reyna_ is referring to," she muttered, which got me to chuckle. "But I'll take your input, Percy. I am being quite strict with everyone, especially Nico. I do it out of love though."

"I know that. But you can be fun and strict at the same time Reyna. I can't imagine a completely un-strict Reyna. That's needed for you and Nico. But just up the fun a bit, you know? Show Nico you truly do care for him."

"I'll..I'll take your sound advice there Percy." Reyna then took notice of the clock as well. "I should be headed home now. Back to my super fun activity of lying on my bed, absolutely bored, listening to _The Script - Superheroes_ on replay over and over again."

I laughed. "Hey, I like that song too. Had it stuck in my head for a solid week," I grinned making Reyna grin too. "You know, you could come over to my house to hang out. Ordered some pizza and playing 2k with the guys.." .

Reyna looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh no Percy that's too kind of you! You boys already have plans together!"

"First. We're not boys. We're dudes. Second. Plans? We're just trying to see which one of us will get our ass kicked the most. Come on Reyna! It'll be fun. Consider it a project legion building exercise if you will."

"Really Percy it's okay. I'm fine. I'm..I'm worried about Nico. He still harbors some anger at me."

"Reyna, Nico will forgive you. I'm sure of it. He can't stay angry for long. You two will probably make up each other in a game of 2k. He sucks at the game a lot so you have a good chance to win for the record."

Reyna gave another laugh and smirked. "That is a very appealing argument. And defeating Nico will be quite.. _fun_. You should see his face when I beat him in Mythomagic. He goes ballistic."

"I could imagine," I commented as Reyna laughed again. The two of us packed our books and headed out, about to take the bus back home.

On the way, I thought back to my conversation with Reyna. About her sister Hylla. How much she loved her.

 _I miss Hylla. I miss her a lot Percy. I would do anything to talk to her again._

My hand began to fiddle around with my friendship necklace. I started to close my eyes.

I missed talking to Annabeth. A lot. Though I still was unsure and frankly scared to talk to her, after hearing Reyna's story, I wanted to avoid being like Reyna and Hylla. I couldn't imagine being unable to talk to a friend. A person you knew since you were young.

 _A girl that I loved a lot._

I needed to talk to her somehow. I needed to. I was planning on talking to Rachel tonight, which was good. But I wished it was Annabeth.

I just wish.

 _Maybe I'll ask Rachel how she's doing. That's good._

* * *

 **Planning**

 **(Rachel POV)**

Entering my Upper West Side apartment, my friends walked in with wide eyes.

"Damn. This place is HUGE girl!" Silena yelled.

"That is a really big tv," Hazel commented, whistling.

"Okay I want to live with you now. Please be my sister." Piper finally added, giving me a grin. My friends were absolutely floored by my apartment. My place had three-bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a huge spacious living room that had a flat screen tv in the middle. I also had a terrace with beautiful view of Central Park West. I sometimes used it to do my art drawings and paintings there, getting inspiration from the lovely view of Central Park and the New York skyline.

"Yeah, it's big." I shrugged as I lead the girls in. I didn't make a big deal of my house as other people would. As I said, I hated the rich lifestyle. And I barely invited my friends over to my place. I avoided it as best as I could, preferring to hang out in the more quieter, modest parts of New York.

Tonight was different though. Real different.

I threw myself on my couch as I grabbed the remote. "Feel free to kick off your shoes and put your feet up, girls. My dad entrusts me with this place on Friday and the weekends so I literally make my own rules. And the rules are you have be as comfortable as possible or get out. Kapeesh? Drinks are in the fridge so, what are you waiting for?" I asked, grinning.

"Ooo yes! Don't mind if I do!" Piper declared as she went to the fridge, grabbing a ginger ale and popping one. "Also, I will make some popcorn! Extra butter! Don't complain you people on diets a.k.a Silena."

Silena glared at her half-sister. "Why'd you reveal that? Why?" she muttered as Piper grinned.

"Rachel, goodness, you have SO many plastic hairbrushes!" Hazel commented as she was exploring my room. My bedroom was a typical artsy-fartsy paradise; the walls were splattered with an assortment of paint and glitter, my creation. The ceiling was also painted to mimic the open night sky, with various constellations on them. I really enjoyed it; at times, before I slept, I would stare up at the ceiling, forgetting for a while I was in a big, bustling metropolis and instead, out in the open surrounded by nature. The floor was also littered with crumpled up drawings and sketchings, random ideas I had while chilling in my room. I also hung a bunch of dart boards along the walls, with some pictures of people I didn't like. Donald Trump was on my main dart-board. He'd been there for a while.

 **(Sorry had to throw a Trump joke in there. Don't shade on me anymore who happens to like him. All in a good fun :D)**

There was also some loud rock music blaring from my speakers. There was always loud music blaring from my room.

Yep, this is the Rachel haven. So expect the unexpected!

I smiled at Hazel as I entered. "Girl, you know I rock the _hairbrush through my hair_ look! So I have multiple hairbrushes. One original and back-up. Also another one for the heck of it."

Hazel laughed and whistled. "Dang, considering how big they are, you could probably knock someone in the eye with one of these."

"Um, I actually did once. Some asshole named Kronos while I was going home from a rally. Was being an ass to me and cat-calling. It's a long story and I don't want to get into it," as Hazel laughed.

The girls continued to get comfortable as they began to cast Netflix on to the tv. The inevitable "what should we watch?" question began to take hold.

" _Stranger Things_! I call for _Stranger Things_ to be played!" Piper stated as she grabbed the remote. Silena, however, grabbed it back.

 **(Does anyone watch Stranger Things? If you do, is it good and should I watch it? Sorry, just a random Netflix question can't help myself)**

"No. I want to watch _Mad Men._ I'm in the mood for some drama on a Friday night."

"Ugh, Silena! When I went over to your apartment, you were playing Mad Men. You made me go through TWO full seasons! The show is SO slow,"

"Hey, it's a slow-burn drama. And it's SO damn good! Don Draper is hot."

"Well, for one, I'd prefer an old movie," Hazel suggested as she plopped down on the couch, slowly removing the remote from Silena's hands. "How about some childhood classics? Lion King? That never hurts."

"Come on girls! Science-fiction! No drama nor oldies. Just good old science-fiction!"

I gave my friends a smile and rolled my eyes as they started to argue about what to watch. However, my mind immediately went on to the plan for tonight. The reason why I invited everyone over.

 _Iris-message call with Percy._

I planned on having Annabeth talk to Percy for the first time.

"Girls! Remember why I asked you to come here? Call. Percy?"

"Oh yeah. Totally. Did not forget that at all!" Piper exclaimed, giving me a thumbs up, all the while trying to snatch the remote from Silena, who held it high above her head, telling Silena how annoying she was.

"When are you going to call him?" Hazel asked.

"Right now. Remember, do NOT tell Annabeth about this! DO NOT! And DON'T let her come to my room when I'm talking to Percy!"

"Goodness, Annabeth..." Silena said as her voice trailed off. "She hasn't spoken to Percy in over a month."

"I know," Piper replied, sneakily snatching the remote from Silena in the middle. "I couldn't imagine being able to talk to Jason for over a month. I don't know what I would do."

"I really hope Annabeth is okay with this." I then mentioned.

"Don't worry. Annabeth is admittedly stubborn. She denies that she misses Percy. But she misses him a lot. We're just trying to help her reconnect with him."

I then nodded my head, knowing Hazel was right. Deep down, I knew Annabeth was yearning to talk to Percy, as much as she denied or tried to put it off. I could see it on her face. Whenever I would mention Percy, there would always be a heightened level of interest coming from her. She was eager to know how Percy was doing. If he was okay.

And the two needed to talk. They just needed to.

It was now 6:55. Annabeth should be coming about...

RING!

"Rachel! Door! Please pick it up because Silena will just snatch the remote from the couch if I pick it up! Piper yelled, giving me a little smile, putting some charmspeak on.

"Guilty." Silena responded hands up in the air, as she went to lunge after Piper over the remote.

Now.

* * *

 **Percy**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Arriving at Rachel's apartment, I tried to clear my mind of any thoughts of Percy, brightening my mood, getting ready for a lazy Friday night of Netflix. After track, I had changed into some blue jeans and a white blouse. I let my hair fall down, still a little wet from the shower.

But as I rang the doorbell, one thought kept replaying.

 _I need to talk to Percy. I just need to._

"Hey, Rachel. I'm here." I said, clearing my head, as I gave her a high five.

"Annabeth! Hey. Finally. You're here. Cool. Alright, Netflix is there on the left. Sodas to the right.

"Cool. Can't wait. What are the girls watching now?"

"I think it's _Stranger Things_ or _Mad Men._ Depends on whether Piper or Silena won the remote control fight."

"It's _Mad Men_ Annabeth so don't worry!" Silena called out from the living room.

I gave a laugh. "Ah. Silena." I commented as I entered Rachel's apartment.

Rachel smiled. Suddenly, there was an audible buzz. It was coming from Rachel's side pocket. Rachel took her phone out. Her bright mood frowned as she took note of the person.

"Gods. He wasn't supposed to.." Rachel then looked up at me and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry Annabeth, I, uh, have to take this! I'll be in my room. Feel free to go..well DON'T feel free to come to my room. I'm, uh, busy with..something.." she quickly said as she ran towards her room.

Maybe it was just me but as I stole a glance at Rachel's phone, there was a name that popped on her screen.

 _Is that...is that Percy's name?_

"Um, what..what should I do now?" I asked, trying to ignore that little piece of information.

"Uh, just enjoy yourself for now Annabeth. You know what. GIRLS! ANNABETH'S CHOOSING THE NETFLIX SHOW!"

"What?" Silena groaned, looking up at us. "Come on Rachel! I just won the remote against Piper! Ugh, this was such a hot scene with Jon Hamm and.."

"Silena.." Rachel moaned, giving her a steely look. The two girls engaged in some silent conversation for a while. After some more hard looks by Rachel, Rachel mouthing the words _you-know-what_ , Silena sighed and relented.

"Okay fine. You're choice, my dear Annabeth. But DON'T put anything spooky or creepy."

"Uh, thanks, Silena." I replied, giving a laugh, as I grabbed the remote from Silena, who had a sour look on her face.

Rachel than rushed towards her room leaving me confused at Rachel and my friends.

 _What was all this?_

However, for a while, I didn't think much as I slumped down on the couch, casting _Black Mirror_ on the tv, trying to relax. The girls and I started to watch _Black Mirror_ for the next few minutes, Rachel still weirdly couped up in her room. As predicted, Silena was livid at me as she saw what the show was about. She was absolutely creeped out, closing her eyes at times, every now and then muttering a Greek curse towards me.

"Okay. We need a tv break now thanks to Annabeth's rather interesting Netflix choice." Hazel said as she turned the tv off.

"Hey girls. I know it's creepy but the show is really fascinating and eye-opening!"

"Yes. Very eye-opening. Like super creepy and horrific eye-opening." Silena groaned, shaking her head and looking like she was regretting every life choice she made.

"It was cool. But I wanted to watch _Stranger Things._ Still, do." Piper declared. She then straightened herself up on the couch and looked over at me. "So, I guess you all want to talk? How about Annabeth kicking Drew's ass in track!"

"Oh yes.." I responded, giving a little smile. However, those same thoughts from before came back to me.

 _I need to talk to Percy..._

"Gods, that was amazing Annabeth! Oh, that look on Drew's face in the end TOTALLY made up for her lying to us at Chipotle's!" Silena stated, grinning at me.

"Yes. Totally!" Piper added. "I wish I took a picture of it! I wish. The captions I could've come up with.."

"Come on girls. Be nice. Let's not make tonight a _roast-Drew-as-much-as-you-can_ one. Although frankly, I would be quite okay with that. Very okay with that actually." Hazel joked, which elicited some laughs from the girls.

"Girl, admittedly, you had me worried there for a bit in the end!" Piper said as she came over and gave me a playful slap on the shoulder. "You were down to the wire and losing to Drew. But of course, you won. Shouldn't have doubted you for one bit!"

"Annabeth had to make it semi-competitive. So she wasn't going full effort." Silena stated.

"Yeah. " I slowly replied, giving a little half-hearted smile.

 _You can do this Annabeth. I know you can._

"What was that in the end? That little burst of energy? I literally just saw it hit you at random." Hazel asked, looking over at me.

"It was probably some of Annabeth's weird energy conservation tricks she uses." Silena said.

"I .. had some extra motivation in the end. Heard some..words. Something that gave me confidence."

 _Someone.._

"Like defeating Drew wasn't enough of a motivator or a confidence booster." Piper muttered, eliciting some laughs.

 _You can do this Annabeth. I know you can._

Hearing those words replay in my head, I felt an overwhelming need at the very moment to hear him. Not just to talk about tomorrow's competition. For Percy to motivate me. But just to talk. Talk in general. Talk about how he was doing. How he was. If he was okay this past long month.

 _Just..talk._

 _I missed Percy. I really missed talking to him._

I HAD to call Percy.

"Girls, where's Rachel?" I asked out loud as I got up from the couch.

"Um, w..what?" Piper asked looking up at me

"I need to find Rachel. I'm asking if I can use a room. I need to make a call to someone."

"Oh, um, don't..don't go in there! Don't go to Rachel's room! Why don't you go outside Annabeth? More, er, privacy out there!." Piper suggested giving a sheepish smile.

"It's kind of cold out there now Pipes. But thanks for the offer." I said as I headed down the hallway to Rachel's room in the far back.

"Wait! You can talk out here! We'll be as quiet as possible Annabeth! Promise!" Silena added, a little frantic look appearing on her face.

I laughed. "First, you and the girls being quiet during Netflix is impossible. Second, I really want to talk in private. So I'm just gonna ask Rachel for a spare.."

"Annabeth, hey! Use this room! Use it!" Hazel exclaimed, grabbing my hand to a nearby room to the right, adjacent to Rachel's. She was almost dragging me in.

"Hazel! What are you doing? I have to ask Rachel first if I can use the room. It's her place after all." I quickly exclaimed as I walked to the front of Rachel's door, covered with a bunch of glitter and paintings.

"Annabeth! Don't go in there!" the three girls shouted in unison.

I turned around to my friends, frustrated. "Girls? Gods! Stop! Why are you all acting so weird? I just want to ask Rachel for a spare room so I can call Percy! I need to talk to Percy! Why are you all so worried?" I groaned as I entered Rachel's room.

"Rachel. Hey. Sorry to barge in but I need to find a spare room. The girls were SO annoying when I went to come here. Sorry, but I really have to call someone." I began as I entered.

"Annabeth! What..what are you doing here?" Rachel exclaimed, those green eyes growing wild as she stared at me. Rachel was at her desk, MacBook Pro in front of her. She immediately went to block the screen, continuing to stare at me widely. I caught a glimpse of her screen; there was the Iris-Messaging application opened. A live video feed of a weirdly extremely blue bedroom was broadcasting.

 _Who's room was that.._

"I..he..uh..you..you weren't supposed to be here yet Annabeth!" Rachel exclaimed. She then looked to the back of me at the girls, who were looking down at the ground.

"Silena! Piper! Hazel! What the heck?"

"Sorry! Annabeth was persistent in coming to your room. She's really stubborn you know." Silena stated, giving an apologetic look.

"I wanted this to be SO much better!" Rachel moaned. "I wanted this to be great. Come on girls I really expected you to.."

"Okay girls. what in the name of Hades is going on?! I just want to find a quiet room to call Percy! Is that too much ask? Why are you all acting so.." I stopped. There was a sound that came from Rachel's laptop.

 _No. It was a voice. A guy's voice._

"Hey Rachel! What's up? How are you? Sorry, I had to get some blue Coke first. Was really thirsty. Let me tell you, my friend Nico is such a fucking dick in NBA 2k. He literally kept reaching over at one of my friend's controller as they were.." the guy on the screen stopped talking. He then took note of the whole situation.

 _I..I know that voice..._

"Rachel, um, what's..what's going on there?"

I came closer to Rachel's laptop, my mind trying to discern and distinguish who the voice was.

It was a voice I hadn't heard in so long.

 _One I missed so much._

"Annabeth, um.." Rachel said as she scooted over, allowing me a full view of the laptop. I looked on as I took note of the guy on the screen. My gray eyes widened as did his as we took note of each.

The guy was wearing an oversized Washington Capitals jersey, accompanied by a pair of sweatpants. His jet black hair was swaying to the right side, wet. That mischievous grin which I used to hate but now loved and missed so dearly present on his face.

And then those sea-green eyes.

They were still so green and soft. Serene like the Pacific Ocean. Emitting care and love that I wanted to jump in them and surround myself with. As I continued to peer intently into those eyes, I began to get lost in them. Temporarily, I forget any issues I had at the moment. Problems. Stress that was in my life.

 _Emotions. Feelings._

I forgot where I was for a split second. I forgot that my girl friends and Rachel were next to me, just looking on awkwardly in silence, as I looked on at the guy in front of me.

Gods I haven't seen those lovely sea-green eyes in forever...

 _No. It wasn't him. That wasn't. That was not..._

"Percy..."

* * *

 **(Percy POV)**

Reyna and I arrived at my house, to the sight of my friends Nico, Tyson, and Will already there.

As promised, Dad ordered us some pizza. New York style. _My favorite._

Nico was still angry at Reyna as we went to go play some PS4, keeping a noticeable distance from her. However, eventually, Nico let up. Reyna was acting laidback and cool, joking around with us guys, getting into the game. She didn't once bring up our project for school. Nico looked over at me for a bit, widening his eyes, in surprise. He mouthed the words _what the hell happened to her?_

I gave a shrug. _Hey. Reyna can be cool if she wants to be dude._

For a while, I was playing around with my friends, goofing around, enjoying our Friday night. I then heard my phone buzz in the middle. I looked at it.

It was a reminder that I had an Iris-Message call with Rachel.

"Hey, guys. I have to take a call in my room. I'm calling a friend. Enjoy yourselves!"

"Yeah, no problem Percy. That is not a problem at..Nico! That is a very dirty move you just did!" Reyna exclaimed as Nico reached over to press one of the buttons of her controller, making Reyna miss an open shot.

"Sorry Rey. Had to do that." Nico replied, laughing, getting Reyna to glare at her.

"I can use those same tactics too you know?" Reyna stated as she reached over and swiped at one of Nico's buttons, making him miss a free throw.

"Ok what the fuck Reyna? You never do that!" Nico muttered as she laughed at him.

I smiled at my friends.. I then grabbed something to drink, some blue Coke, before I talked to Rachel.

 _Gods know I needed something to drink before asking about Annabeth._

As I entered my room, I began to muse over again the conversation I had with Reyna about her sister Hylla. How much she loved her. How Reyna was super emotional when talking about her sister.

 _I would do anything to talk to her again._

I needed to talk to Annabeth. Someway. Somehow.

Entering I looked on at Rachel and gave a little laugh.

"Hey, Rachel! What's up? How are you? Sorry, I had to get some blue Coke first. Was really thirsty. Gods, let me tell you, my friend Nico is such a fucking dick in NBA 2k. He literally kept reaching over at one of my friend's controller as they were.."

I stopped. I took notice of the situation Rachel had a nervous look on her face. I could also see the girls in the back, Piper, Hazel, and Silena, who were also weirdly nervous and quiet.

However, I took note of a person in particular. My eyes widened.

It was a girl. A blond haired girl. A pretty blond haired girl, hair curled like a princess. She was standing up, looking at me, her large gray eyes wide and in shock.

Though my brain and mind already knew who this girl was, I didn't.

 _This wasn't Annabeth. This was NOT Annabeth! This was is just a recording. Just a trick of the mist!_ Just...

I looked on in a daze as I finally came to grips with who this pretty girl was. A pretty girl I hadn't seen in SO long.

No, this WAS Annabeth. I was looking at her.

I was looking at the girl I loved a lot.

We continued to stare at each other through our screens as the silence took hold, both of us in awe, shock, observing one another. Annabeth looked just as beautiful as I remembered her. She was wearing simple clothes tonight; some blue jeans and a white blouse. Curly blond hair falling down freely on her shoulders like the princess she was. Her gray eyes so large and cute.

It wasn't anything to bring home about; it was a simple Annabeth attire. But simple Annabeth was beautiful Annabeth.

I also couldn't help but stare at Annabeth's lips, the ones I had kissed with such passion during Valentine's night. Annabeth, too, seemed to be doing the same, her gray eyes squarely focused on my lips.

Gods I missed that kiss. I missed her touch.

 _I missed her._

"Percy.." Annabeth began as she sat down to take a better look at me, still not believing her eyes. I took a moment to savor her alluring, beautiful voice as she said my name. It had been so long since I heard Annabeth say it. She then went close to the computer screen, her eyes not breaking focus at all, taking a better look at me, allowing myself to get a better view of her beautiful face and its perfect features.

"Annabeth.." I stuttered, giving an awkward wave. It felt so weird now to say her name out loud. I haven't said it in..forever.

"Um, h..hi..Percy."

"Hi..hi Annabeth." I responded.

"Um..I'll leave you two to be now." Rachel quickly said as she exited the room with the girls. From my computer I could hear Rachel shout and berate the girls.

"So.." I began.

"Well anyways.."

We both stopped. We looked at each other again, the silence taking hold. I would've honestly been okay with the silence persisting for a while.

"Um.." Annabeth started, thinking hard. I could sense her calculating, trying to come up with some question to ask me. To start off. To engineer some sort of conversation with me as if it weren't natural.

 _Like two best friends since 12 speaking to each other wasn't natural._

"What..what time is it over there Percy?" she quickly asked.

Despite the overwhelming tension present in the room, I couldn't help but give a little awkward laugh at Annabeth's rather weird question.

"Uh, you're..you're asking about the time Annabeth?" I repeated.

"Yeah. The..the time there. I..I want to know what time is it over there." she stated, giving a little sheepish smile. "Just..the time."

"Um, the time over there is the same here. 7:30. We're in the same time zone Annabeth," I pointed out.

Annabeth had a _duh_ look on her face, realizing her rather dumb, un Wise-Girl error.

"Oh haha yeah. Oops. I..I guess you're right Percy. New York and Washington D.C ARE in the same time zone, huh." she replied.

"What, you thought I was in Greece or something?" I joked, giving a little smile.

Annabeth let out a reserved laugh. "No..no. It's not that! It's just..you feel so far away Percy.." she stated, her voice trailing off. She didn't meet my eyes as she said that. My smile faded a bit. I didn't meet her eyes as well.

 _You feel so far away..._

It was so weird seeing Annabeth directly in front of me yet knowing I could never actually touch her...

"So, um, what...what are you doing now?" Annabeth suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Uh, I..I was just getting a coke to drink. Blue coke. I was thirsty." I replied. I didn't realize at the moment but that answer sounded dumb in the overall outlook of the conversation.

"Oh really? They..they have blue coke over there?" Annabeth continued, continuing this rather pointless conversation.

"Well. Not packaged obviously You have to put the blue dye yourself."

"Yeah of course. That's..that's cool." Annabeth uttered. She then squinted around. Her eyes widen as she took note of my bedroom.

"Ok, I thought my eyes were just deceiving me at first but is your room totally blue Percy?"

"Uh yeah. That's..that's correct Annabeth. My bedroom is blue. Um, why you ask?"

Annabeth suddenly rolled her eyes at me and shook her head. "Really?"

"What?"

"It's just..my gods Percy! Your room is SO freaking blue! That's crazy. How do you not literally feel blue sleeping there?"

"Hey!" I protested as I frowned. "I like blue Annabeth! You know that!"

"I know. But that's SO MUCH blue there Percy!"

"Ugh. You haven't even seen my dad's house at all girl! It's a literal blue-fest. My dad literally has blue toilet paper in the bathroom just for the record." I mentioned, which got her to groan.

"Ugh, Percy. You're still such a freaking Seaweed Brain," she muttered. I paused for a moment, taking a while to let register what Annabeth called me.

 _Seaweed Brain. She called me Seaweed Brain._

It had been so long since I heard that nickname out loud. Admittedly, it was a nickname that, at first, I hated. I hated with a fury. It was so dumb and rather condescending; I remember how flat and expressionless my face was when Annabeth came up with that nickname when we met each other in 7th grade. She had used it all throughout class, saying to me _Hey! Can you give me that sharpener Seaweed Brain!? Pass the eraser will ya Seaweed Brain? Oh...what's up Seaweed Brain?_

I hated it

Now, that nickname was a part of our relationship. It was something that only Annabeth and I shared, along with her own nickname Wise Girl. They were nicknames we threw around with such ease and carelessness as we joked, talked, or texted one another in the past.

After being apart from her for so long, that nickname took on some deep meaning and specialty to it.

 _I missed being called that by Annabeth..._

"Um, what..what happened?" Annabeth asked. I realized I had been dazing off.

"What?"

"You..you just stopped." she said.

"Oh," I replied, shaking my head. "Nothing just..I'm thinking about what you said about my bedroom being too blue. You know, I think I'm going to make it pink now, for you, uh, Wise Girl." I joked, using her nickname verbally.

Annabeth looked at me for a while. She then shot me a glare.

"Why do you always feel a need to aggravate me? You KNOW I hate pink Percy."

I gave a laugh. "Mmm. Then how about hot pink? Or flamingo pink. Or.."

"Shut up Seaweed Brain." she tersely told me. However, eventually, the two of us laughed, this one feeling more relaxed and less tense. It reminded me of the conversations we would always share together. The pointless ones. The useless ones. The ones we would have for hours and hours, trying to annoy the other.

They were always the best.

"So, what are you up to now Wise Girl?" I asked, sitting up in my chair, feeling a bit more at ease now.

"Nothing. Just chilling at Rachel's place. I was watching some shows with the girls."

"That's nice. What show?

" _Black Mirror_. My choice."

"Oh, my gods! _Black Mirror_! Yes! I love that show!" I happily said as I pumped my fist in the air. A week before I left, Annabeth and I recently discovered that show. It was freaky as shit but so cool. I think for a solid day the two of us were terrified of anything technology related.

"I know. It's so freaking interesting! But Silena was such a wuss about it. She kept complaining and groaning how fucked up the show was. How scared she was."

I laughed. "Sounds like Silena. What did she want to watch?"

"She wanted to watch _Mad Men."_

I rolled my eyes ."Of course. The sexy Don Draper a.k.a Jon Hamm, probably top 10 hottest guy in the world? Every girl is so in love with him so it wouldn't surprise me Silena likes the show," I muttered. Annabeth than laughed out loud.

I smiled widely as Annabeth continued to laugh. Annabeth's laugh was so cute. It was so light and playful, a natural easiness to it. That Bruno Mars song line began to pop in my mind

 _Her laugh. She hates but I think it's so sexy._

I would've done anything to hear her sexy laugh. To make Annabeth laugh.

 _I really missed hearing Annabeth laugh._

"So how are all the other girls? Guys? Seemed like your.. winter break was pretty cool from all the photos I saw." I asked.

"Um it..it was okay," Annabeth responded, her voice trailing off at the end.

"You're serious?" I then said, looking at Annabeth in disbelief.

"What?"

" _It was okay_. " I said, mimicking her voice. "The heck are you talking about? From what Grover sent me, you went sledding and snowball fighting."

"Hey!" Annabeth exclaimed, taking offense to me mimicking her voice. "I mean, it was nice. But it wasn't anything special." she continued.

"Ugh. Only the Wise Girl would consider sledding and snowball fights not cool. Much better than my winter break." I moaned at her. Annabeth then shot me a quizzical look.

"Really Seaweed Brain? I would ask you if YOU'RE serious? You spent your winter break in Washington freaking D.C! The capital of history, politics, art. How the hell can your break be _okay._ " she said, Annabeth now my mimicking her voice.

"I mean.." I started, as I thought back to what I felt throughout my winter break

 _I wish Annabeth were here with me.._

"You..you know what, you want to have a _winter break_ faceoff? Mine vs yours Percy!" Annabeth suddenly said.

"What?"

"My winter break vs your winter break. Since you think it was, as you put it, _okay._ "

"Stop mimicking my voice gods!" I muttered as she laughed. I then looked up for the time. It was around 8 o clock now. We had been talking for about a full half hour now.

"Um..do you have the time to talk Percy?" Annabeth asked, noticing my gesture. She had a slightly worried look on her face, assuming that I had to go soon.

I looked out at my door at Will, Nico, Tyson, and Reyna still on the PS4. They had now switched to Madden NFL with Tyson and Nico playing. Tyson was muttering curses left and right as Nico kept continually scoring touchdowns on him, mainly through the hail mary, rubbing it in Tyson's face.

"Hah! I got another TD!" Nico exclaimed as the score now was an unfortunate 60-0 him.

"Tyson hates football. Football stupid. Tyson try to take ball away from Nico. Doesn't work."

"Well, maybe if you don't use a field goal block defense when Nico is going to throw.." Will muttered.

"Nico. Do not get cocky. You're better than that." Reyna stated as she slapped Nico, causing him to moan, to the bemusement of the guys.

Tonight was supposed to be a night I hanged out with my friends.

But I was talking to Annabeth. Fucking Annabeth. The girl I used to always spend my time with. My Fridays with. Talk with.

 _And still wanted and loved to do so._

In these few moments together, we had already laughed, joked, around, and made fun of each other. As we always would. I felt really happy. Excited. At ease.

 _Like I always felt around Annabeth. As if nothing had changed. Like this past month didn't occur._

I missed that.

A bunch of stupid games with some dudes could wait.

"Yeah, I've got time Wise Girl. I've got plenty of time."

* * *

 **Contact**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

It amazed me how quickly Percy and I reconnected.

For the next hour or so, the two of us were chatting it up and laughing as we told one another about our past winter breaks. I had learned over that time Percy now lived with his dad and half-brother, a guy by the name of Tyson. Tyson was apparently a really nice guy. When Percy began to describe how he looked, I told him to shut up and quit joking around.

Percy also told me about visiting the Library of Congress over the break, which baffled me. That was one of the top places I wanted to visit in America. Not only for its wide and fascinating collection of books but for its beautiful interior and exterior architectural design.

 _Seaweed Brain is so lucky. I'm so jealous. And he thought his winter break was boring!_

The more I continued to talk to Percy, the more it surprised me at the easiness to which it came. How calm I felt. How at ease and relaxed. Usually, conversations got boring after a few minutes; yet I never got bored while talking to Percy.

 _I didn't want to stop talking to him._

Despite being apart from each other for a month, within minutes, we reconnected with one another, to the point that I was goofing around, joking, and rolling my eyes at Seaweed Brain's ridiculous comment as we chatted with each other.

 _Like the month apart from each other never occurred._

Yet, I shouldn't have been surprised by this. I shouldn't. This was always our relationship. This playful easiness that existed. A relationship that was fun, goofy, yet caring and deep at the same time. We would always consult one another whenever we needed advice or a friend to talk to. We always felt fine being our true selves when with each other.

I felt confident being Annabeth. Being true Annabeth with Percy. I felt that if Percy were to ever have his memory wiped away by a randomly godly force and taken away from me, we would reconnect with each other like it was no biggie.

"Oh, my gods Percy! This is so fucking cool!" I exclaimed as I swiped through the photos of the inside of the Library of Congress he texted to me.

"I know. I had a feeling you would've loved this library Annabeth." he responded flashing me a grin.

"Wow. Gods, just the paint used! The marble. The.."

"Ok Wise Girl. Enough architecture facts," he said as I laughed. "Ok, now let me tell you the REAL tragedy of this whole library! Not once did I see the book _Cat in the Hat_ during my tour." he said as he faked a sad head shake.

I rolled my eyes at Percy and smirked: " _Oh, I'm so sorry they didn't have your baby book_ wittle _boy!_ " I said in a toddler's voice.

"Shut up." he muttered as I laughed. At that moment, something hit me.

 _My art award! I..I can tell Percy about my art award now!_

"Percy! I need to tell you something!" I excitedly exclaimed as I looked through my photos, swiping to the one with my award on it.

"What is it?"

"I won an art award! For winter competition." I said as I showed Percy through the computer screen the picture.

Percy's eyes widened as he heard that."You did? Oh, my gods? Yes! Congratulations Annabeth! I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed a big grin erupting on his face.

I smiled back, a wave of overwhelming happiness overtaking me at Percy's excitement. "Yeah, I'm really happy about it to! But I have to thank you, Percy. If you didn't remind me, I would've forgotten to submit."

Percy looked at me weirdly. "Thank me? I just reminded you Annabeth! You were the one who drew that drawing. Wow! That's amazing. I'm so freaking proud of you!" My smile, already wide, couldn't help but grow as Percy said that. I absolutely loved Percy's genuine, childlike excitement for things. Especially when it came to me. He was always like that since we were young, more excited for me than I was for myself.

 _I love that about him._

"Up top Wise Girl. Virtual high five!" he said as he put his hand up in front of his webcam.

I put my hands up, about to return Percy's high five. However, at the very last second, he took it away.

"Mmm, too slow. You missed Wise Girl," he said, grinning.

I groaned and shook my head at Percy. I tried to look angry at him but I couldn't help but flash a smile. "How rude Seaweed Brain. Leaving a girl who won a freaking art award hanging. Man, I'm so disappointed in you." I said, looking at him and shaking my head in disappointment.

"Okay now you're making me feel REALLY bad Annabeth," he said, face in a frown. "Want to do it again?"

"Mmm, too late for that. Should've just accepted my high five when you had the chance." I responded, giving him a shrug.

"Come on. High five?" he asked putting his hand up in front of his webcam.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Nope."

"Pretty pretty please?"

"Let me think about it..no."

"Ugh come on B _eautiful Princess Wise Girl._ Give me a high five!" he said as Percy started to pout, his sea-green eyes scrunched up, face like a cute baby seal.

I stared a bit at Percy.

 _Beautiful Princess Wise Girl. That corny, dumb, yet amazing nickname._

Instantly I started to feel happy. Giddy. I couldn't help but help but blush, more than I used to before.

I _love that nickname. I fucking love it when Percy calls me that._

I really miss Percy calling me that...

"Ok fine." I finally said, shaking these thoughts, as I grumbled, returning Percy's high five as he smirked.

"I'd knew you'd want to high five me. Oh, fuck, I need to ask Wise Girl. I'm having a debate with Tyson about our favorite Disney tv show. What's your favorite?"

"You know this Percy. _Gravity Falls_ by far. "

"Exactly! That show is fucking awesome. Just..ugh..I don't know who would NOT like that show?"

"What. Does Tyson not like that show?"

"No, it's .. my half-bro Tyson keeps insisting that _Phineas and Ferb_ is the best Disney show for him."

"Okay, _Phineas and Ferb_ is cool. But it's all about _Gravity Falls_! That show is so perfect. The plot. Setting. Characters. I love Grunkle Stan. He's so freaking funny!"

"I know! He's a slightly more smart, con-artist version of Dionysus if I say so myself." Percy stated, making me laugh. Percy then gave a smirk.

"You see Wise Girl. You're reasonable! Now, if you only agree with me that _Finding Nemo_ is much better than _Monsters Inc_ than you'll be the best, most incredible person in the world!"

I groaned. "Ugh. You're seriously bringing that up again Seaweed Brain?" I muttered.

"Yes. Yes I am."

I moaned out loud. Of _course, Seaweed Brain brings that up! He's Seaweed Brain! What did I expect?_

Gods, I hate that about him.

 _And love about him..._

"Ok. You know what? I'll give you a detailed, scene-by-scene, articulate argument for why Monsters Inc is better than Finding Nemo." I said to Percy as we continued to argue about our favorite childhood movies yet again. For the rest of the time, the two of us continued to talk and chat, the laughing and smiling growing more and more by the minute. I found myself getting lost talking to Percy, my surroundings and time blurred, enjoying every second I had with Percy. Casually conversing as if we were together, like during our childhood, just loving these moments together. As if we were never apart in the first place.

 _That Percy was still with me._

"Oh, Percy! I've got to show you this new song!" I immediately said as I scrolled through my phone. "You're going to love it!"

"Humor me, Wise Girl. Humor me." he responded with a smile. As I was about to excitedly hit play, a person then entered Percy's room.

"Um, excuse me Percy." The both of us turned to see a person standing at Percy's doorway.

A girl.

"Oh, Reyna. What's..what's up?"

"I'm about to leave now Percy so I want to give my proper goodbyes to you." this girl named Reyna stated, giving a little smile. I looked at her closely for a bit. This girl looked like she was of Puerto Rican descent with a noticeable accent. She had piercing black eyes and very nice glossy black hair. She was also extremely muscular and athletic; I would've suspected she did sports in high school and did them well.

Her face was very stoic and hard. It looked very regal and high class, one that screamed "leader" and "warrior". She seemed to be strategizing every second, similar to what I would do, looking around Percy's room.

She was quite pretty.

 _Who..who was this girl?_

"Leave? What time is it?" Percy asked, surprised, looking up at the time.

"It's around a little more than half-past 10." I then looked up at Rachel's clock in her room. My eyes widened.

It was around 10:40. I'd been talking to Percy for the past 2 hours and more.

"I just want to thank you for inviting me to your house to hang out. I had a lot of fun Percy. Especially when it came to defeating Nico a multitude of times."

Percy gave a little smile. "Oh, that's..that's cool." as Reyna chuckled.

"I'll be going now. See you!" Reyna stated as she left the room.

"Um, okay, I'll.." Percy then glanced over at the computer screen at me, still sitting, and then back to Reyna. It looked like he was conflicted over whether to see Reyna off or continue to chat with me.

"Um, I should go now Percy." I quickly said as I stood up, about to hit the hangup button on the Iris-message app, mind on that Reyna girl he was with.

"Annabeth no wait!" Percy quickly said as he stopped me, a frantic look appearing in his eyes.

"I should really be going, Percy. It's getting late and I should get home. You should go say bye to your friends."

"Annabeth, no, I..I really need to tell you something." Our eyes then met each other and locked, his sea green and my gray one. Once again, awkwardness ensued. Silence. There was some uneasiness yet again between us.

Percy shifted around uncomfortably, unsure of how to proceed. What to say. Eventually, Percy started.

"Annabeth, I .. I moved to Washington D.C because I needed to. I felt like I..needed to get away from..there. That I needed to..not be there," Percy began, trying to carefully form his sentence, phrasing it correctly.

I slowly nodded my head, taking in his words. Though I didn't want, the memory of Valentine's night inevitably entered my mind. Percy and I standing outside in the parking lot. Percy's confession that he was in love with me. My rejection of him. The kiss we shared, the sensations coming back to me at this moment.

 _My refusal to admit that I did love Percy as well._

It was a memory I thought I'd stopped thinking about for a few week. That I WANTED to stop thinking about. Those emotions and feelings I felt I wanted to avoid confronting. Again.

Yet now, seeing Percy, about to leave, that Reyna girl in mind, they were coming back in droves.

"It's okay Percy. I understand." I slowly responded as I looked up at him, though refusing to meet his eyes. "I do. I..I know why you left." I responded, though not completing the _why_ part of the statement.

"Annabeth. No. You have to understand that I didn't move because I didn't want to be with you. That's not true. You should never think that! I really do want to be.." Percy said. He stopped mid-sentence, his voice fading in the end. Percy had a pained expression on his face, similar to when I rejected him.

 _Annabeth. I'm in love with you_ began to ring through my head in excruciating replay.

"I care for you Annabeth. I enjoy my time with you. I like hanging out with you. You know all that! I..I do miss you." he slowly said, eyes still closed. Yet, I could sense the emotions slipping out through them. My mind began to interpose the memory of a tear escaping Percy's eyes as I rejected him.

"I just wanted be away from there! That's it! To stop thinking about.. _there_! To try to ignore..there!" he finally said out loud, voice raised, an angered look on his face, sea-green eyes full of a mixture of confusion and some pain.

"Don't worry Percy. I know. I care for you too Percy. I enjoy spending time with you. I miss you as well.."

 _I miss you a lot. SO much.._

The two of us continued to look at each other, eyes locked, unsure of what to say next. That easiness that was in the conversation before, gone. That lightness, gone. It was now dominated by one overarching thought.

 _What emotions or feelings to reveal to each other._

This was the same sort of chess match with our emotions we would always engage in. That I always found myself a partaker. That I would do with Percy when we were still with one another. A chess match that I, for once, did NOT want to be part of. A match that I kept playing for years. A match that, inevitably, never ended up with me saying what I wanted to say so badly to Percy.

 _I love you Percy. I love you._

Why can't I just say it! Why!

 _But I couldn't say it. I couldn't. This feeling of love..I wanted to avoid. To ignore. After all those times and love experiences before .. I wanted this overwhelming love and desire for Percy to fade.._

I was rejecting my own feelings.

Eventually, I forced a smile down, at Percy and looked at him, trying to choke my emotions down like I would do so many times when we were together. This mask I'd put on not changing at all, even with Percy and I apart from one another.

"We should keep in touch Percy maybe ?" I asked.

"Yeah, definitely. Definitely Wise Girl," he said as he looked at me. We both stared at one another again, taking in each other's face. Yet, inevitably, knowing one thing.

 _It's only a visual. It's not really Percy. The reality was that Percy and I were apart. Not near each other._

"Alright. Bye Annabeth. I'll..I'll talk to you soon." Percy finally said.

"Bye Percy. I'll..I'll see you later."

As soon as I hung up, those overwhelming emotions began to come back in. The ease of which I felt with Percy. Gone. My problems. Coming back and seeming magnified. Unsureness of whether I was confident Annabeth or shy Annabeth.

 _These feelings, worry, apprehension, all of which were gone and away for these hours I spent with Percy, which felt so great, coming back._

"How was your talk with Percy?" Rachel suddenly asked as she entered her bedroom.

"Huh? Oh, it..it was good Rachel. It..it was nice to hear Percy's voice again." I replied, forcing a smile at Rachel.

Rachel smiled back. "That's good. I'm sorry for earlier Annabeth with the girls. Ugh, I'm never trusting them with these sort of things!" she grumbled.

I gave a laugh. "No, it's okay. I'm .. I'm happy I was able to talk to Percy. It's nice to hear his voice again." I stated.

 _It's only a visual though. It's not really Percy..._

"You can talk to him again. You have Iris-messaging, right?" Rachel suggested.

'Yeah. I do. I'm..I'm planning on talking to Percy again."

"That's good. Um, you should go home. Unless you want to sleep over here. I don't mind. Piper, Silena, and Hazel are already knocked out on the couch. They look so cute on top of each other, can I just say."

I gave a little chuckle. "That's okay Rachel. I'll go home now." I stated as I went outside, heading towards the C Train.

 _Maybe this will be alright. This will be alright! Percy and I reconnected. I can Iris-Message him each day. Text. We're in the same time zone, which is good! I'll talk to him._

This is good! I can get used to this. He doesn't have to be here with me. He doesn't. Talking to him is good enough. It's good!

 _Annabeth don't lie to yourself. Don't. Be honest._

 _Be honest about your feelings for Percy. Just be.._

Stop.

* * *

 **Ending Statements**

 **Oh that Percabeth conversation. So awkward, cute, humorous, and sad :(**

 **Hope you guys liked it! I've been working on it for days and I don't know why but I'm not too sure about it imo. But let me know what you think!**

 **Also hoped you enjoyed those Solangelo and Reynico friendship moments I threw in there. I always see Reyna and Nico as good friends who understand each other, brother/sister esque relationship as shown in the Blood of Olympus. I'm not a shipper of them though. Anyways, I sort of changed Reyna's back story a bit so it wasn't as super depressing and sad, though in all honesty it still is emotionally sad.** **And now you know why Reyna admires Clarisse.**

 **Also Rachel. Rachel Rachel. I think this is the nicest, most kind-hearted version of Rachel on . I just love the sympathy she shows for her friends and empathy she can display for certain situations, like Annabeth and Percy not talking to each other for nearly a month. She maybe my second favorite female character in PJO apart from Annabeth. She's tied with Reyna for my second favorite female character in PJO. But I love Annabeth lol. As a guy, I got a crush on her :D.**

 **Also, forgive me if you hated all the Drew-bashing. Actually...no. I agree with that Fuck Drew! :)**

 **Anyways, next chapter will be titled Scared.I don't know when that will be but I'll try to do it ASAP.**

 **Till then, enjoy your weeks!**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **NOREYNAPLS:** This is a Percabeth story so don't worry :).

Or should you..

Joke. It says Percabeth AU story in the story cover.

 **minecraft grace:** Thanks!

 **tinypurpledino:** Hey! What's up green vines, well now tinypurpledino. Ayy thanks so much! Yep, tension tension tension. You can tell I like love triangles and all that kind of stuff.

Having Percy and Annabeth apart is super hard to write because I just love their little moments they share together leading up to that heartbreaking scene in Chapter 15. The friendship. The care/love. Also, that last scene with Annabeth unwillingly admitting she misses Percy a lot was something I've been trying to perfect and rewrite over and over. So I'm glad you thought it was beautiful :)

 **amazingAwesomeness:**

Thanks!

Yep, I'm a classic canon shipper for PJO. Preyna is interesting and cute but I'm a Percabeth nerd all the way. And I'm a fan of Solangelo. Was tipping my hat to Riordan for having a gay couple in his book. Takes major cajones to include a gay ship in a children's book considering the rather terrible attitudes people have towards homosexuality.

Oh, and the next coming chapters will be pretty emotional. So you should buy more tissues and Kleenexes. I have a tendency to write super emotional scenes in my story.

Also Thalia. I did say a long time ago she's coming. And she is...

 **EmmaBloomFan22:** They're not getting married...Or will they..

Kidding. I'm not going to do that lol. But I like to have a lot of Percabeth drama as you can probably tell.

 **OliviaYT:** Hey.

I know I sent you a PM and you snapchat me a lot (too much :D. btw folks can follow add me on snapchat at someguy240. don't question the name). But I want to answer your review in case some people express the same opinions. The little 12 year Annabeth's voice in Percy's head was actually an idea I had last minute like I mentioned to you. But it was so cute and so emotional. Probably now my favorite scene of Percabeth cause of how powerful it is.

Also Tyson Reyna? Glad you liked the intro of their characters!

I also didn't want Luke to be a complete dick. I wanted him to have some humanness to him. I really don't think people are completely evil; they have some heart to them.

 **Guest:**

Thanks! Glad you liked the chapter. Also happy you liked the little message I made about homosexuality.

Always correct me if I wrong but I believe Tyson does speak mostly in that manner in the book. Chopped up and third person. But I tried to put a tinge of maturity on it.

Again thanks!

 **ArtemisNewHunter:**

MEH.

Sorry but that's really fun to say :D Anyways, I PM you a lot on the fanfic app, though I never get you notifications. But I wanted to address some points you made. Yeah, little Annabeth was such a cute scene. And it was a last minute idea. And really glad I came up with that idea as I was proofing the chapter.

My hand's okay now thank the gods. But it's still cold here :(. Ugh, the wind gods are being complete dicks.

Anyways, glad you liked the portrayal of these characters. Also really happy you liked Reyna's portrayal. I was musing really hard over how to portray Reyna effectively and I wasn't sure if I did it in a good manner. But it's cool you like it and hoped you like Reyna's back story here in this chappie..

Oh and heavy drama? Yes. This story is way more dramatic and deep than I ever expected it to be. But love is quite a deep and dramatic emotion.

 **Percabeth824:**

I always tip my hat to you for reviewing so often! Thanks for the taking time to do that. Means a lot.

 **Iheartbooks1:** Thank as always :)

 **Lelantus (both reviews):**

Glad you enjoyed the story!

First, I'm sorry to disappoint you but Preyna will not be together at the end. It's a Percabeth story. So sorry for that :( But I'll definitely have some Preyna moments together like in this chapter! They do have a good friendship and it's interesting to see Reyna's character change because of Percy and the dynamic between the two.

I'm not an aspiring author. I just like to write for fun and recreation. I'm studying politics and economics currently, which is like TOTALLY different from writing. But it flatters me that you think my writing is good! Maybe I'll try writing a book one day; who knows? The Fates are so interesting :)

 **Some random guu:**

Hey! Thank you so much for those kind words. I really don't understand all this flattery at all. I just this for fun and to help relieve my stress. But super glad you love this story!

 **Guest:**

Here it is. Took a while, sorry, but the point is I updated! :)

 **Mario and BFDI Bros:**

Glad you liked the cover as well! Ugh, Percy and Annabeth look so cute I love it :D Definitely send some love over to JaayChaan because the user gets all the credit!

Also, answering your PM question, it's alright you didn't get that I considered this story more so Annabeth's journey. You're a very sharp reader dude. And I will try to have more other character's incorporations. Cause I do love friendship moments between our friends back in New York and Jupiter High School.

 **jjseas2003:** Thank you! Means a lot. Well, uploaded same day you review :D. So your in luck!

* * *

 **(A/N 1): I believe that is all factually and historically accurate :). Apologies if not. If anyone is a history nerd like me, Paine is such a fascinating dude and his books are a must read, especially Age of Reason for me.**

 **Sorry but i love history haha :)**

 **(A/N 2): Are track practices Saturday? I'm in college so sports shit are usually on Saturday. But IDK about high school so let me know!**

 **(A/N 3): I LOVE Black Mirror. Such a great show. Definitely, watch it but it's SO spooky.**

 **(A/N 4): I'm bad at smack-talk lol. But I thought I did okay with Drew smack-talking Annabeth. Of course, none of it's true. Annabeth is perfect :D**


	19. Chapter 18- Scared Part I

*****Before I begin, little shoutout to guest reviewer Angie from Chapter 4, who happened to like the choice of music I put. If you're reading this at all, I'm so happy you liked all those artists I listed! Here are just some more artists I listen to cause I can't help myself if I'm being honest ;). Paris Blohm (song Left Behinds is amazing). Tchami (remix of AlunaGeorge – You Know Like It. Really good!). Finally, Two Friends (recent remix of Charlie Puth's – How Long is SOOOO good. Also, their singles Emily and Overdose are great as well)*****

 **(A/N: Pardon for any grammar or sentence structure errors in this chapter. There were quite a bit last chapter. Oops.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 18 – Scared Part I**

 **That Girl**

 **(Reyna POV)**

"Ah, sh*t!" Nico yelled, slamming down his PS4 controller in frustration, as I scored another 3-pointer on him, making the score 113-70 me.

"Gods. How in Hades are you SO good at 2k Reyna?" Nico exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, I just follow the instructions and play my best. You can only go so far by playing dirty Nico you know?" I casually responded as I took a sip of my diet Coke, Nico groaning.

"It could also be you just plain SUCK Niks." Will added shrugging, lips forming a big grin, which got Nico to glare and punch him. "Ouch! Man even Tyson kicked your a** Nico and he would be the first to admit he's bad at 2k."

"Yes, Tyson beat Nico. Nico beat Tyson in dumb card game. Seem fair." Tyson nodded as he was gulfing down another slice of pepperoni pizza, his 6th one tonight.

"I hate you guys so freaking much." Nico muttered as we all laughed. Will then turned to me and gave an impressed nod. "Wow. I never you knew you were good at video games Reyna! Maybe you should come over to my house after school next Monday? FIFA? Also, uh, we can do that project thingy thing as well. I, er, obviously didn't forget!" Will added at the end awkwardly.

I smiled. This was the first time Will had invited me to his place to hangout. He was usually hesitant to do so, probably because I was admittedly a pretty hard, strict person to deal with.

 _Huh. Guess Percy had a valid point…_

"I'd very much like that Will. And don't worry about the project. It's due in three weeks, right? We've got time." I responded, flashing a smile, which got Will to look at me in a quizzical manner.

"Um..ok. What..whatever you want Rey." Will replied, clearly taken aback by my 360 attitude change. He then grinned "Well, hope the Barcelona girl is ready to get her butt kicked by my Real Madrid squad."

My smile then turned to a glare. "Ugh. You and your obsession with Real Madrid Will! Are you trying to make me angry and attack you? Cause I most definitely will!" I yelled which got Will to smirk.

"Ahh. There we go. Classic Reyna. Wonder where she went." Will grinned which got me to give him a slap on the shoulder.

Nico, as well, took note of my attitude change, looking at me weirdly.

"You're acting so ... relaxed now. What's up with that?"

"Hey, I can be _chill_ if I want Nico. Besides, it's hard to not act chill when I whooped your a** in 2k." I joked, giving a big grin, which got the guys to let out another laugh.

Nico made another whimper. "Why did I play you, Reyna? Why?" he mumbled as my grin enlarged. However, his expression suddenly turned serious. Nico's dark black eyes began to assume a soft, ghostly look almost as he stared at me, though not meeting my eyes.

"Reyna, I should tell you something. When you were working with Percy at the library, I said some.. _things_ about you to Percy."

"I know Nico. I know. I..saw those things."

Nico had an embarrassed look on his face. "I didn't mean that! I'm so sorry. I really hoped you weren't hurt by my words. I know you're just trying to look out for me Reyna. It was childish for me to call you those things and.."

I placed my hand on Nico. "Nico, it's okay. I understand. I can be a hard-a** to you at times. And I'm very sorry about that. You're a smart, bright kid and I'm confident that you'll do the right thing."

"You..you mean that?"

I smiled, which got Nico to smile as well. "Yeah of course! You're a sharp mature kid Nico, although you're Mythomagic hobby still puzzles me." I smirked, leading to Nico to roll his eyes.

"But I hope you understand that I act strictly to you as a friend. As a person who cares for you. I do it, um, out of. Out of…"

"Out of love. Love to a friend I consider family." I finally told Nico, sharing to him that sentiment for the first time. _Show Nico, you truly do care for him_ Percy's words began to play in my head.

Nico smiled at me and nudged me. "Of course I understand! I always knew whatever you did for me was because you cared. I'm really glad someone cares for me a lot although frankly Mythomagic still is an awesome game, Reyna. That's never going to change because of age!"

I looked at Nico with a mixture of awe and disappointment. "Gods you are so mature Nico yet you still willingly choose to engage in such childish activities," I muttered as Nico laughed and nudged me again.

For the rest of the while, the four of us continued to hangout in Percy's living room, Tyson switching over to some Netflix in the middle and broadcasting _Sherlock Holmes: BBC series_ **(*A/N 1)** I was joking and kidding around with the guys, having a great time.

 _You know, it's nice to act relaxed and calm for once. To not be worried and pretend that I'm something I'm not._

To act like…me.

At those thoughts, a smile couldn't help but appear on my face as I began to replay the conversation I had with Percy in the library. I had been open with him about my older sister Hylla. How much she meant to me. How much I missed her.

 _And loved her._

It was a story that, for the longest time, I didn't share with anyone. Not even Nico knew of Hylla. Being reminded of Hylla hurt; I couldn't be reminded of her without thinking of how deeply her loss affected me. How I couldn't help but think about her each day.

How hurt I was by her. By the fact that as much I loved Hylla, she didn't seem to love me back. I didn't expect Percy to understand my story, nor anyone for that matter. But it seemed as if Percy was emphatic to me, sensing and sympathizing the loss of Hylla.

 _I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you._

Percy was extremely open when I was telling him my story. Soft. Not judgmental. There was a rather easiness to Percy by which I could talk to him. His words of encouragement and advise considerately. In the middle, Percy had put his hand on me in attempt to comfort. It was a gesture I was appreciative of. Welcomed.

 _Liked…_

Percy, albeit quite an annoying and stubborn, is quite a caring and thoughtful person.

 _I really like that…_

It was then that I heard the opening of the front door. The four of us peered back to see who it was. Entering was a large, muscular man. He had broad shoulders and a well-built figure. He was wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt and some khaki shorts as if he were ready to hit the beach, which I thought odd this time of year. In one of his hands were a suitcase and the other, some fishing poles. There was a strong, salty ocean aura that the man emitted. His face was very similar to that of Percy's. Same sea-green eyes. Wet black hair swooping to the side. And that distinct mischievous smirk.

 _Percy's father I presume._

"Ayy. Lookie here We've got company!" the man boomed as he entered the house.

"Daddy you're home!" Tyson yelled as he rushed towards the front to hug him.

"Yes, I am my boy! I was fishing a bit in the Potomac with some friends of mine. Cause I couldn't help myself and I really wanted to catch some trout for once and TYSON! Haha, er gods, HOW many times do I have to remind you. Please. Don't. Hug. Your. Dad. Too. Hard. Your hugs are..VERY strong their kiddo." Poseidon croaked as Tyson hugged him fiercely.

"Oh. Sorry, daddy!" Tyson responded, giving a childish smile as he released Poseidon. "Say hi to my friends!"

"Yes of course Tyson," Poseidon stated, catching his breath, as he put his suitcase and fishing pole to the side. The green-eyed man than turned towards us and flashed a booming smile.

"Hey everyone. My name's Poseidon! I'm Tyson and Percy's dad. But you can call me Po. Cause I'm a SUPER chill person."

"Daddy! Stop acting like your cool in front of friends." Tyson exclaimed, shaking his head.

Poseidon shot his son a side-eye. "Hey! I AM cool Tyson! Anyways, hope you all are having fun! Um, sorry to be a damper on the party here but it's getting late now. Half past 10. Are you guys planning on leaving soon?"

"I'm actually sleeping over here with my boyfriend Nico Mr. Poseidon. I'm Will Solace by the way. Nice to meet you. I think you might know my dad Apollo?" Will stated as he extended his hand out to greet Poseidon.

"Oh yes. Apollo! Yes. Uh, your dad and I used to be roommates a while back. He, er, was a bit TOO much at times admittedly. Sorry for that."

Will chuckled. "It's okay sir. I understand my dad has a very..interesting personality. Can be a bit of a pain in the butt. He plays his lyre way too much when I get home from school."

Poseidon grumbled. "Apollo and that stupid lyre of his. Gods he absolutely ruined _Coldplay- Viva la Vida_ for me, _"_ he muttered.. His eyes then veered towards me.

"Oh, and who is this lovely girl?" he said as his deep sea-green eyes began to examine me.

"My name is Reyna sir. Just Reyna." as I extended a polite hand. Poseidon flashed me a mischievious smile as he shook it.

"Ah. Reyna. Lovely name. Percy's getting them, girls, now, eh? Nice." he grinned.

"Um, no sir! It's not like that!" I immediately answered. I weirdly began to get a bit red in the cheeks. "I'm..I'm Percy's friend! That's all."

"Oh," Poseidon responded, frowning. "Well, at least he has some pretty looking girl friends. Forgive me but you are quite a charming young lady if I can say.."

"Daddy!" Tyson groaned, looking at his dad in frustration. "Stop being weird!"

"Sorry. It's getting late now Reyna. Do you want to sleep over here like Will and Nico? I'll be more than fine with that."

I gave a polite smile. "Oh, that's way too kind of you sir! I have volleyball practice early morning tomorrow. So I should be getting home soon!"

"Mmm. You should ask Percy and Tyson to drop you off, Reyna! Shame for a lovely young girl to walk home this late by herself. I have to show my boys to be gentlemanly, you know?"

"Daddy! Tyson is gentlemanly. You meet Tyson friend Ella. Tyson act nice to her."

"As you should! She's also quite a lovely girl too Tyson. Ouch! What the heck? I'm just saying, Tyson!" Poseidon stated as Tyson slapped him on the arm. I couldn't help but smile.

 _Percy and Tyson have a very..interesting dad._

Poseidon moaned. "Ugh, my sons can be annoying. Speaking of, where is my boy Percy Reyna?"

"I believe Percy is inside his room. He's calling a friend back in New York."

Poseidon shook his head. "That is SUCH bad manners by my boy! I thought I showed him some proper Poseidon charm and etiquette. Do you mind if you go and get him from his room so I could give him Percy a lecture about that!"

I laughed. "Alright, Mr. Poseidon. I'll go get your son." I stated as I went towards Percy's room. Entering, I was about to joke how terrible Percy's manners to his guests were when I was greeted to the sight of Percy, sitting near his desk, in front of his MacBook. He had a big smile on his face, expression light. His sea-green eyes looked so soft and at ease at the moment. He was laughing and smirking.

Percy looked like he was having a good time with whoever he was calling with.

I then took a look at the person on the screen. It was a girl, I presumed around the same age as me. She had long curly blond hair. Tanned skin. Slim, athletic figure. And distinct, large gray eyes. The girl looked quite intelligent from first impressions. She was also very pretty. A big smile encompassed the blond girl's face as she was talking to Percy.

"Oh, Percy! I've got to show you this new song!" the girl cried out excitedly. "You're going to love it!"

Percy grinned. "Humor me, Wise Girl. Humor me," he responded, that smile of his only growing.

 _Wait. Wise Girl?_

The girl was about to hit play on her phone. However, needing to talk to Percy, I slowly interrupted him.

"Um, excuse me, Percy."

Percy turned around. "Oh, Reyna," he began, shaking his head. It looked as if he was in a daze from talking to the girl on the screen. "What's..what's up?"

"I'm about to leave now Percy so I want to give my proper goodbyes to you." I began, occasionally stealing some glances at the blond girl on the screen.

"Leave? What time is it?" Percy asked, surprise present in his voice.

"It's around a little more than half-past 10."

 _Wow, Percy lost track of time?. He must really like talking to that girl to forget._

"I just want to thank you for inviting me to your house to hang out. I had a lot of fun Percy. Especially when it came to defeating Nico a multitude of times."

"Oh that's..that's cool," Percy responded as I gave a little chuckle. From the screen, I saw the blonde girl's large gray eyes look at me. She began to appear apprehensive. The smile that was on her face faded a bit. The girl looked up at her own clock. Her eyes widened. Like Percy, it seemed as if she had lost track of time as well.

 _She seems to like talking to Percy a lot too._

"I'll be going now. See you!" I quickly stated after some awkward moments of silence **.** I then quickly exited the room, trying to give that mystery girl and Percy some space. As I closed Percy's door, I heard Percy exclaim one thing.

 _"Annabeth no wait!"_

I waited out in the hallway, unsure whether to leave or stay. After a few minutes, Percy then exited his room. I noticed that his body and facial expression had changed. A lot. He looked deflated. Down. I could sense some hints of sadness emanating from Percy as he slowly closed his bedroom door.

 _Some..hurt even._

"Hey. I'm so sorry for that Reyna. I was talking to a ... a _friend_ of mine back in New York." Percy began, his lips lingering on the word friend. "I really didn't mean to leave you hanging there."

I gave a polite smile. "No need to apologize Percy. That's alright. I just wanted to let you know that I was about to leave, that's all." I replied.

"So, um, that girl you were talking with before." I began, trying to discern who she was. "Her name is Annabeth, right? I'm sorry. I overheard you state her name as I left your room." Percy looked at me for a bit. For a while, his sea-green eyes seemed to assume an uncharacteristic harsh, defensive tone to them, which I found surprising. However, it then faded. Percy then gave a little, reserved nod.

"Yeah. Annabeth. Annabeth Chase. She lives in New York. Annabeth was calling me from my friend Rachel's place. I told you about Rachel already, right?" Percy sighed.

"Yes, yes you have."

 _Weird for Percy to mention Rachel but not Annabeth._

"So.. is this Annabeth girl a close friend of yours Percy?" I asked a seemingly innocent question **.** However, Percy winced. Some sadness reappeared. The same hurt expression I saw from him as he exited his room reappeared. Percy tried to hide it though and shot me a smile, though it looked disingenuous.

"Yeah. Annabeth is a good friend of mine Reyna. My best friend. I've…I've been friends with her since I was 12."

I gave a polite smile. "Oh, that's great!"

"I know. This is the first time I've called Annabeth in..a while."

"Well, it's always good reconnecting with a best friend, right?"

"It is. I..I forgot how much fun I had talking to Annabeth…"

"You even have a nickname for this Annabeth girl I believe. _Wise Girl_?" I stated.

Percy got red in the face. "You..you heard that?"

"Yes. Um sorry again."

"No, it's..it's ok! That's just a little nickname I have for her. Annabeth sometimes calls me Seaweed Brain. So, um, it evens out."

I smiled. "Wow, that's very cool. I mean I call Nico Niks at times but Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl are interesting nicknames. I would say quite fitting for you Percy."

Percy gave a slow laugh. "Gee thanks," as I gave a laugh.

"Annabeth seems like an interesting person Percy."

"She is. Annabeth is just..she's really ... I ...she's great." Percy softly stated, almost in a whisper, his voice fading at the end. For a while, I looked on at Percy, who seemed to be lost deep in thought. That same sadness began to reappear in him, Percy's sea-green eyes paling to a light green. His expression seemed conflicted as if the thought of Annabeth began bringing back some memories. Memories that Percy didn't want to have.

 _This Annabeth girl seems to mean a lot to Percy…_

However, Percy, noticing that I was observing him, suddenly cleared his throat and looked straight at me, his sea-green eyes now assuming a sharp yet reserved look. He flashed me a smile, though not his usual, natural soft kind. "You should get home now Reyna. It's quite late. Tyson and I will drop you off." Percy began, voice trying to be firm.

I gave a little smile. "That is quite a gentlemanly action, Percy. Your dad would be very pleased with you."

Percy moaned. "Of course. Dad and his _proper etiquette with girls,_ " he muttered as I laughed. However, Percy's sarcasm seemed reserved, almost forced, not his usual. It was clear his mind was still on the call.

 _On that Annabeth girl..._

For a second, I started to think about the conversation I had with Percy in the library. How he told me about someone special. Someone that apparently Percy had a lot of love for.

 _I was hurt by this girl. A girl I was really close with. A girl I knew since I was young. A girl I cared for a lot._ _And cared for me too. She said some.. things to me. And I was hurt by them._

Was Annabeth the girl that Percy was talking about? Was it this girl?

 _Was it this girl he.. loved a lot?_

However, I couldn't linger on that thought for long as I said my goodbyes to Nico and Will, Percy, and Tyson leading me outside to his car, Percy's attitude more withdrawn than normal throughout the car ride home.

 _Who was this Annabeth girl..._

* * *

 **(Reyna POV)**

I felt different in the next few weeks.

I started to spend more time with Will and Nico. They were fun and enjoyable to be around. When I was with them, I didn't feel a need to put on an act.

I also enjoyed being with Percy. He was a kind, sweet, laid back person with a good sense of humor. One couldn't help but feel relaxed in his presence. He had that ability to do that to you.

 _I liked that..._

Being true Reyna felt good. Relieving. I felt comfortable being myself. And I liked being myself.

However, I still hung out with Clarisse, Even if I didn't like her, that didn't automatically mean I was going to immediately avoid her. Clarisse had power and status at school. She had a cemented position.

 _She knew what she was doing._

Further, Clarisse and the volleyball team were counting on me to deliver in our semi-final game against our rival school, _Empousa High_. I had to live up to that task. I also needed to maintain some sort of structure and routine in my life. Something to root me. I still wasn't comfortable with embracing whoever "Reyna" was fully like Percy said, even if I liked it.

 _Frankly, I was afraid to find out who that person really was._

It was now around mid-April. It was a beautiful warm sunny Tuesday afternoon in Washington D.C. I was at Montrose Park in Georgetown with Percy, Nico, and Will, playing some volleyball with them. Tyson was also here. However, he was sitting on the sides in the park benches with his girlfriend Ella, working on their Chemistry lab project.

Well, I PRESUME girlfriend Ella. Tyson liked to spend SO much time with her one could be forgiven for mistaking them a couple as I and my friends have done multiple times and teased Tyson for, to his groaning.

My volleyball semi-final competition would be taking place a few days from now, Thursday night. Clarisse had actually scheduled a team practice but I decided not to attend.

 _Much more fun playing with awesome friends than with a rather bad-tempered girl._

At the park, we set up the volleyball net. We then split into two teams; Percy and I were on one, Nico and Will the other. Will started the game off. He underhand served the ball at me. I set my hands into the correct position and bent my knees, making a little bump pass to Percy. Percy then set the ball high up in the air, setting up beautifully for a spike opportunity.

I decided to unleash the ultimate Reyna move. The spike-the-ball-as-hard-as-f*cking-possible special.

A classic.

I spiked the ball at Nico.

"Ahh, what the f*ck!" Nico yelled, flailing out of the way as the ball came just inches away from his face.

"REYNA!"

I gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Nico. I can't help but go full out even if it's practice. Bad habit." which elicited a grumble from him.

"Ugh. F*cking show off. And we just started the game! " Nico groaned as Will attempted to console his boyfriend. As I went to the serving line, Percy was giving an impressed nod.

"Nice skills," he commented, giving a grin. "Nico definitely is not going to want to mess with you now."

"I should go easy on him though. He is a novice Percy."

"Go easy? No! Don't! It's funny seeing Nico lose his mind!"

"Hey, I heard that!" Nico muttered which got both us to laugh.

"Well, I'll do my best then," I replied which got Percy to grin. For the next half hour, the four of us continued to play. By the middle, Percy and I were winning quite handily, winning the first set 25-10. Nico and Will were.. not a good volleyball pair to put it mildly. They were a great couple, don't get me wrong. But as a team, no; they bickered way more than cooperated. And it definitely showed in volleyball.

"Ugh! Nico! You missed that simple tip by Percy!" Will exclaimed as Nico was on the ground, hands and shirt covered in dirt.

Nico glared back at his boyfriend. "Hey! Don't blame me! I wasn't the person who served an absolute meatball to them!"

"It's called a float serve Niks!"

"Alright that serve had a LOT of float there Bill."

"Ugh, you are so annoying sometimes!" Will exclaimed as the two continued to fight.

"I think the game is over for now Reyna," Percy stated as he looked at me.

I shook my head. "Yes. Unfortunately. I was just about to spike another ball at Nico's face. Darn."

Percy gave a grin. "Shame. You know, maybe we should work on our project now. We still have quite a lot of things to do before Friday."

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Percy! Let me get a drink of water first."

"Ok. I'll be back at the table bench with Tyson and Ella. Let's just pray to the gods Nico and Will are in better moods," Percy grumbled as I chuckled. I then went to the water fountain, spinning around the volleyball on my fingertips. I was smiling, in a good mood. However, as I went to take a sip of water, a voice called out to me.

"Oh lookie here. It's Rey-na!" My mood turned sour. I took a glance back to be staring at Matt Sloan.

"Sloan," I muttered, as my eyes turned to a steely, hard black. Matt Sloan was the school's premier a**hole, to put it plainly. Tall, lanky, and a horrible case of acne, he was a nuisance to be around both in the physical and visual sense.

Sloan played on both the volleyball and water polo team. However, it wasn't that he was particularly good at it; quite the opposite actually. However, he did have one thing going for him; he was rich and his family contributed heavily to the school's sports teams and programs.

So it was no wonder he was a "valued" member.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I yelled, cutting to the chase.

"Hey, I'm just enjoying the nice weather. I can't do that?" Matt snickered.

"Really? Wow. Hope the nice weather is doing wonders for that acne of yours." I snickered.

Matt snorted at me. "Still snarky a** f*ck aren't you Reyna? Or, should I say the STILL single Reyna!" Matt taunted, who got his friend Tim beside him to laugh.

My expression turned dark. "Oh f*ck you, Matt!" I yelled as Matt and his friend continued to laugh.

"Hey. I'm just pointing out a fact my little Rey of sunshine," Matt began, using that annoying nickname, flashing me a horrid grin, making my insides vomit and turn. "Look, if you ever need a boyfriend baby, I'm always open. Just say the words and I'm all yours!" Matt continued, making some disgusting smooching sounds with his mouth, extending his arms out.

"Or how about you shut up before I throw this volleyball at your face."

Matt smirked and shook his head. "Reyna, Reyna. Goodness girl, you've got a lot going for you! You're smart, plays sports, and kind of pretty looking admittedly as much as I hate to admit. Too bad your attitude absolutely sucks. No wonder you haven't had a boyfriend in forever…"

"GET LOST MATT!" I finally yelled, reaching my apex with him. Matt then shrugged his shoulders and left, still jeering, leaving me to contemplate over his words.

 _No wonder you haven't had a boyfriend in forever._

I then went over to the park benches, my mood now sullen and dampened. Nico and Will were already sitting, still fighting with one another. Percy was also sitting. However, he was looking up at me. There was a look of concern on his face as I sat down adjacent to him.

"Reyna, gods, are you ok? I overheard what you and Matt were talking about."

I let out a big sigh, closing my eyes. "It's fine Percy. It's fine. I'm ok. I thank you for your concern."

Percy then shook his head, letting out a big snort. "Gods Matt Sloan is a f*cking a**hole! Thinks he's hot sh*t in school just because he's rich; I remember I was talking to Rebecca from the gym and Matt randomly came up and started to flirt and grab her in the a** inappropriately! Such a f*cking piece of sh*t."

"He has a tendency to do that."

"I know you don't like violence Reyna but I really want to punch Matt in the face if I can. He's such a f*cking prick."

"I'm not one for violence but a guy like Matt definitely deserves something rather bad to happen to his face."

"As if the disgusting acne wasn't bad enough." Percy muttered which got me to chuckle. However, I kept replaying one thing Matt told me.

 _No wonder you haven't had a boyfriend in forever…_

Those words hurt more than they should've.

Percy noticed my hurt expression and quickly put his arm on my shoulders.

"Reyna. Don't listen to Matt about that boyfriend sh*t. Like we said, he's an a**hole. He doesn't know what the f*ck he's talking about!"

"I know Percy. I know. But Matt isn't wrong to point out I'm single. I haven't had a boyfriend in.. forever. Heck, haven't gone a _date_ in forever."

"None of that matters! You've got me, Nico, Will, Tyson. We're your friends. We like hanging out with you."

"Yes. And I appreciate that. But still, I..I can't help but ask myself what I'm doing wrong Percy. Every guy I try to ask out or am interested in has turned me down before." I said, my voice down.

"Well, their loss frankly Reyna." Percy sharply stated.

I gave a little smile. "Thank you for that. But I..I just want to find someone that loves me, you know? That cares for me. And I..I can't help but feel like no one cares for me Percy, every time someone says no." I feebly stated as I closed my eyes again, some pain overtaking, the thought of my sister Hylla and how much I love her coming to my mind.

"Reyna, hey." Percy softly said. He then proceeded to come close to me and put his arms on both my shoulders. "Look, you'll find that perfect someone that loves you. I know you will. You'll know for sure when you find that person. You just have to keep searching." I opened my eyes to be staring directly at Percy's, whose sea-green eyes was looking at me with such softness and ease, a little sympathetic smile on his face. For that while, I began to weirdly take in some minor details as I continued staring at Percy, like that little scar on his face.

 _You know Percy is kind of cute…_

Whoa.

"Um, we..we should do our work now Percy!" I stuttered as I looked away, trying to shake my head of that weird random thought. For the next half hour, the four of us got to work, Nico and Will still arguing from time and time, Percy and I researching the god Minerva. However, I continued to steal some glances at Percy, those weird thoughts I had before going through my mind.

After a while, Percy then got up from the table.

"Oh guys, I have to go now. Sorry. I'm planning on talking with my.. my friend back in New York soon! But I'll Iris-message you all later!"

I gave a little smile. "That's ok Percy. We still have two days to work on our project. But you're coming to my semi-final volleyball game though, right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it!" Percy stated, grinning. I smiled. A weird part of me began to feel really happy at that sight of Percy smiling.

 _Reyna stop.._

Will, who had his boyfriend in a tight neck grip lock currently, then looked up at Percy and gave a quizzical look. "Really Perce? Another call? Didn't you call your friends yesterday?"

"Um yeah dude. I wanted to call my friends again. That's all." Percy quickly stated.

"Hey don't take that the wrong way man. I don't mind you calling your friends from New York. But I noticed you've been doing that a lot recently."

"No, I..I understand. I'm..I'm calling a close friend of mine Will. We promised one another we would call the other more often. I..I hadn't done so ever since I moved to D.C." Percy said. I noticed that Percy was getting a bit uncomfortable. He began brushing his hands through his hair, which Percy did whenever he was apprehensive.

Nico gave a grin. "Mmm. You sure it ain't your girlfriend bro? Just spill the beans man we won't judge." he joked, giving Percy a nudge, which got some laughter.

"Yes. Percy be honest to brother! Brother won't judge. Tyson will tell if he has girlfriend too!" Tyson exclaimed from our nearby bench, overhearing our talk. Ella looked over at Tyson, her eyes widening at the mention of girlfriend."

"Tyson..Tyson has girlfriend? Girlfriend. Friend. _Charlotte's Web_ by E.B. White a good book about friendship." Tyson's face got noticeably red at Ella's comment.

"Um no! Tyson..Tyson has no girlfriend Ella! Tyson say if he had he tell big brother. But Tyson DOESN'T Ella to be clear!"

"Oh. Ella..Ella don't care if Tyson has girlfriend! Not at all. Ella don't care. Care. Care rhymes with hare. _Tortoise vs the Hare_. Slow and steady wins the race the moral of the book." I couldn't help but smile as I observed the flustered looks on Ella and Tyson's face, both of them a bit red in the face, not looking at each other as they continued their science projects.

 _I may not have a great love life but I know when two people really like each other._

Percy gave a little smile as well at Tyson and nudged Nico back, though both actions seemed forced.

"Haha, very funny Nico. No, this..this person is special to me. That's all. I..I enjoy talking with this person. That's all, " For a while, I stared at Percy, who seemed to be drifting into deep thought, sea-green eyes looking distant. It looked similar to when I hung out at Percy's place before. That look he gave after he exited his bedroom.

 _After talking to that Annabeth girl…_

Percy then cleared his throat. "I should go now. See you tomorrow. Bye guys!" Percy quickly stated, flashing his usual mischievous smile, as he turned around, not looking back, the last sight of Percy his jet black hair flowing in the wind.

"Ok. Bye Percy." I slowly said. I then went back to working on my project with my friends, Will and Nico arguing still, Tyson and Ella working shyly with one another. However, I wasn't focusing as usual.

 _That Annabeth girl.._

Even though I didn't know for sure, I had a fairly certain hunch Percy really liked this Annabeth girl like Tyson liked Ella. A lot. His expression always seemed to change whenever the subject of Annabeth came up. It was one of mixed emotion. Happiness. Easiness. Some pleasant memories of her.

Yet, at the same time sadness. Some painful memories almost as he thought about Annabeth.

 _Some hurt._

 _I was hurt by this girl. A girl I was close with…_

I couldn't help but think that girl Percy mentioned before was Annabeth.

* * *

 **Your dreams**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

I really missed talking to Percy.

After not talking to him for over a month, I forgot how fun and relaxing it was. How natural and at ease I felt while conversing with him.

 _How natural it was for the two us to be.. together…_

In the coming days, we had made it a daily routine to talk to each other, Percy and I taking turns to call. I found myself looking forward to after school. At those few hours we had together. I temporarily forgot for just a while Percy was away from me. That he wasn't here. For just a speck in time, it felt like nothing had changed as I was joking with Percy, laughing, teasing, talking about whatever came into my mind.

 _As if Percy had never left._

But of course, inevitably, one of us would have to leave, ending the call. It was then the reality of the situation kicked in.

Percy WAS away from me. He WASN'T here with me _._

And that fact..sucked.

 _It_ … _hurt..._

Ugh come on Annabeth, what more could you want? You're talking to Percy! You can see Percy! You can call him every day and vice versa. What more could you want?

 _Why..why would I be hurt…_

Yet still, these weird, foreign feelings I hated so much milled around inside me as the days and weeks went on, I trying desperately to suppress them. My mind also couldn't help but ponder over that pretty glossy black-haired girl at the end who entered Percy's room. The girl named Reyna.

 _Who was that girl Percy was with…_

Three weeks had now passed. It was now a Tuesday, beginning to mid-April. Grabbing my books from my locker, I was about to head back home, stopping first at Joe's to grab some pizza. I was planning on calling Percy at 5 today. He had asked beforehand for me to buy some Joe's so he could gawk at it. Apparently, Percy very much missed the pizza from there.

 _Ugh, typical weird Seaweed Brain._

I really missed that.

As I approached the front exit of the school, a voice called out to me from behind.

"Excuse me Annabeth." I turned around to see the principal, Mr. Chiron in his wheelchair, soft brown eyes looking at me.

"Oh, good afternoon Mr. Chiron. How are you?"

"I'm doing great! Thank you. Um, can I ask that you come see me in the office before you leave Annabeth?" he asked.

"Yeah of course! Um, am I in trouble Mr. Chiron?" I asked, puzzled by his random seeking of me. Mr. Chiron looked at me with wide eyes for a while. He then grinned.

"In trouble? Heavens now! The day you get in trouble at school is the day I will retire from being principal Annabeth." Mr. Chiron joked, leading me to smile. "I just want to talk to you about something I thought you would be interested in."

"Okay, Mr. Chiron," I replied as I entered his office and sat down.

"So Annabeth." Mr. Chiron began, voice assuming a soft tone. "I know very well that you have a passion for sketching and art. Am I correct?"

My eyes lit up at the mention of sketching. "Yes! Absolutely! I love to draw and sketch Mr. Chiron! Especially architecture and buildings. They're my absolute favorites to sketch!"

Mr. Chiron smiled, amused by my childlike enthusiasm for the subject. "Mmm. I can tell Annabeth. You have quite a lot of talent and ability their young girl. One simply does not win multiple consecutive art competition awards without having some serious skill." he commented, leading me to smile.

"This is why I'm so happy and excited to share with you Annabeth that there will be a national architecture competition coming up soon!"

"Um..w..what?" I asked, not comprehending what Mr. Chiron said, staring at him.

"An architecture competition! The _10th National Future Architects Contest_. You'll get to compete with hundreds of fellow students and peers from all around the country for the best architecture design and concept!"

 **(PS: I made up the competition just to let you know. It's fanfic so don't shade on me boys** **and girls ;))**

"Wow. Really?"

"Yes! The 1st place winner gets a $10,000 scholarship for any college of their choosing and a chance to work and design a building with some top architects in the country."

"Wow! That's..that's great!"

"Here, I have a flyer if you're interested in more information Annabeth. The current theme for this competition is ancient Greek architecture. They want to see how well students can blend the old and new with their building designs." Mr. Chiron stated as he handed me the flyer.

"I love Greek architecture!" I exclaimed as I peered at the flyer. There were pictures of some Greek statues of the ancient Olympian gods. There were also some famous Greek ancient buildings like the Parthenon, the Acropolis of Athens, Temple of Hephaestus, some of my personal favorites.

This competition had everything I loved and more.

"This sounds so freaking cool!" as I looked up at him, my eyes beaming, anticipation and excitement growing inside me.

"I know! As soon as I heard about this competition, I knew immediately that this was perfect for you Annabeth. So, I thought why not have you represent our school in it?"

"I'm..I'm honored!"

Mr. Chiron flashed a big smile. "I wouldn't want any other student then you representing us dear. However, I do have to make mention of some specific.. logistics of this competition." Mr. Chiron began as he straightened himself up in his wheelchair, expression assuming a serious look.

"First of all, the competition takes place in California Annabeth."

"Um, what?"

Mr. Chiron gave a slow nod. "Yeah. It's really not a big deal in my opinion; you'll most likely be staying in a nice hotel during your stay and I'm more than sure you'll be able to make some friends dear. But it is something worth pointing out and an issue you might want to talk about with your parents Annabeth."

"Oh o..okay." I responded, my excitement getting down. I've gone on a couple of track and academic decathlon meets out of state. NJ, Pennsylvania. Even Boston; as a Yankees fan, I was almost kicked out of there for getting.. quite unruly.

But California? That was extremely far away. And I would only be by myself. No parents or friends.

Just me.

Mr. Chiron continued. "You also have to factor in travel and stay costs. The airplane ticket to California. Food and miscellaneous spending."

"Yeah. That's true. I..I didn't even factor that in.."

"But again, it's not much of an issue! The school will be more than willing to pay for a majority of your travel and food expenses Annabeth, so personal out of pocket expenditures would be lessened. But it still is an expenditure you have to consider."

"Also. The competition is around two weeks long dear."

"What?"

"Yes. It starts this Monday. It's a very rigorous, prestigious competition, with hundreds of students around the country competing for the first place prize. There are multiple rounds with the judges asking students to create multiple building designs. Further, admittedly, this is a very hard competition to win Annabeth. I've sent some students in the past and they've been knocked out in the first round. Only the best and brightest students usually come up on top."

"I have a big track competition against Hunter High this upcoming Wednesday Mr. Chiron though. I also have academic decathlon practice."

"I'm more than confident your coaches will allow you to compete Annabeth. If you're interested in participating, I'll email them immediately. They're surely understand dear."

"I guess so." I managed as I stared at the information flyer again.

 _This is a very hard competition to win Annabeth.._

"I don't know Mr. Chiron. These are a lot of factors to consider. And you say the competition is really hard to win." I finally stated after some long musing. Some doubt began entering my voice, the initial excitement and joy of learning about this competition waning.

Mr. Chiron, sensing my uneasiness, put his hand on me. "Annabeth, I know this all sounds a lot. And I understand your hesitancy. I nor the school am forcing you at all to participate. But please do consider. Not only because it would be fun but also because this is a great opportunity for you to do something you love."

"That's..that's true."

"I wouldn't make mention of this if I didn't believe in you Annabeth. If I didn't think you could do it nor had the talent or ability. But you do and I believe you could win the whole competition! You're a very special, unique girl. You'll have until Friday to decide, okay dear?"

"Alright Mr. Chiron. Thanks a lot for those words. I'll definitely think about it." I responded as I exited the office, giving Mr. Chiron a hug, as I was about to head home.

 _Opportunity to do something you love..._

 **(*later)**

Arriving home, I immediately opened up my Daedalus edition MacBook Pro and opened the Iris Message application to call Percy.

"Gods, do you like the new Snapchat update Annabeth?" Percy grumbled in the middle as he was scrolling through his iPhone. "The stories page is gone, now all merged into the messages page, which is so annoying and aggravating. And half of the stuff on the discovery page is from celebrities I could care less about. I freaking hate it!" **(*A/N 2)**

"I don't use social media much but I heard," I responded. "I mostly go on Twitter if I do."

Percy smirked. "Of course you do. You and your _Twitter_ Wise Girl," he mockingly stated.

I frowned. "Hey! There's a lot of interesting things to follow on Twitter Seaweed Brain! News. Politicians. Inspirational people." I defensively retorted.

"Maybe. I still can't believe you're using that Twitter username I gave you Annabeth! _TheOneandOnlyWiseGirl_. How thoughtful of you to keep that!" Percy teased, grinning.

I began to redden. "You..you forced me to make that username!"

"Hey, I'm not forcing you to keep it Annabeth." Percy pointed out.

"I just.. I haven't had time to change it Seaweed Brain!" I shot back. Truthfully, I didn't want to change my username. Not only because my over 1000 Twitter followers would be confused (not bragging there) but the Wise Girl nickname was.. special to me.

I liked the nickname. It made my relationship with Percy special. Unique. It was a nickname I hated at first but, overtime, grew more and more endearing.

 _Sort of like how my feelings for Percy grew.._

I shook these thoughts from my head. I then gave Percy a smirk.

"Besides, scrolling through some funny tweets is much better than sending dumb duck faces to your friends."

"Okay, I do NOT do the duck face girl! Second, you don't know what you're missing. Me and Piper have a streak going on for around 367 days now. Actually, make it _368._ " Percy stated as he hit the send button on his phone, showing me.

I rolled my eyes. "Wow so proud of you big guy. Feel accomplished?" as Percy snickered. I then took a closer look at Percy's phone, taking a note of Percy's Snapchat bitmoji. I then laughed out loud.

Percy frowned. "What?"

"No, it's your bitmoji. You look so dorky Percy! That's such a _cute_ sweater your wearing!" I exclaimed, giggling at Percy's choice of a plaid blue sweater for his character. Percy's face started to redden. He began to shake his head.

"Why am I calling you again Annabeth? Why?" he muttered as I laughed. The rest of the time, the two of us continued to talk, I eating my Joe's pizza in the middle and teasing Percy, all the while Percy groaned and sending me some Greek curses.

The usual between us.

At the end, Percy looked up at his clock. His eyes widened. "Oh gods, I have to leave now Annabeth! I'm so sorry. I have to Iris message some of my friends. Nico, Will, and Reyna. I told you about them, right?"

I tensed up a bit at the mention of this Reyna girl. However, I forced those feelings down and gave a smile.

"No, that's ok Percy. I'll see you tomorrow. The same time?"

"Yeah definitely! And ugh PLEASE do not tease me again with food when we call. I'm going to HATE you for that."

I grinned. "Well, I'm just planning on getting some delicious, incredible, mouth-watering, AMAZING burgers from PJ Clarkes tomorrow Percy. Sooo nothing big."

Percy moaned. "You're so mean Wise Girl. So freaking mean." as I chuckled. Percy then was about to hang up. However, at the very last minute, my conversation with Mr. Chiron from earlier entered my head.

The architecture competition.

 _I should tell Percy about it…_

"Um, Percy." I began.

"Yeah, Annabeth?"

"I..I want to tell you something. Mr. Chiron told me about a competition happening next week. An architecture competition. The _10th National Future Architects Contest_. The 1st place winner gets a $10,000 college scholarship."

"Wow. Really?" Percy responded, his eyes widening.

"Yeah. The competition starts this Monday. The theme for this year is Greek architecture. The judges are asking students to sketch and produce various building designs influenced by ancient Greek architecture."

"That's so freaking cool Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed. His facial expression brightened, sea-green eyes wide, his big smile that I loved so much appearing. "That's amazing! You love Greek architecture, don't you?"

"Absolutely! I love how each element of a building serves a structural and aesthetic purpose. Like the pillars of the Parthenon! Or the.."

Percy let out a chuckle as I went on a little architecture tirade. "And there goes Wise Girl geeking out on architecture. Yet again. Of course." Percy joked as I smiled. "Man, that's so awesome Annabeth! Good luck in that competition!"

My smile then faded. "That's the thing Percy. I'm..I'm not sure if I'm going to participate."

"W..what?" Percy cried out in disbelief, a stunned look on his face. "Annabeth, why not?"

"The competition takes place in California. It's also two weeks long. I have a big track meet soon and academic decathlon practices at school Percy.."

"Oh."

"But, I mean, Mr. Chiron told me it's not a problem. I could be exempt from my competition. Plus, the school will be paying for a majority of my travel expenses. But still, they're factors that I have to consider."

"But Mr. Chiron did say it's not a problem, right?" Percy pointed out.

"Yeah."

"And I'm assuming Samantha and your dad would be ok with you going to California by yourself?"

"I have to call dad first and talk to Samantha. But I think they'll both be ok with me going."

"So why are we even discussing this in the first place? Go do it Annabeth!"

"I..I don't know Percy. It's a really big time commitment, the whole competition. Mr. Chiron also told me there would be a lot of students participating. It's a super prestigious contest and I'm not guaranteed to win."

"Annabeth, who cares about all that stuff?" Percy exclaimed, his eyes assuming a serious look to them. Percy then looked straight at me through the screen. "This is a great opportunity for you Annabeth! You always loved sketching and drawing. You even told me when we were younger that you wanted to be an architect, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's been my dream since I was a little girl."

"So this is your chance Wise Girl! A chance to go after that dream! Who cares about the time commitment and all that other sh*t? If you like architecture then go for it!"

"But there are so many kids competing Percy! I know I'm good but I don't know if I'm THAT good…"

Percy shook his head at me. "Annabeth, how will you know if you don't try? If you never go for it in the first place? I think you've proven us more than once that betting against Annabeth Chase in a competition is never a good idea. Drew learned that lesson _quite_ well when you kicked her a** in track practice."

Though I still felt unsure, I couldn't help but let out a little smile at Percy's comment. "Gods you still remember that?"

Percy laughed and grinned. "Of course I would! It's Drew Annabeth, duh. Piper was telling me for days how you absolutely kicked her butt. Well, I think she probably embellished some facts but still."

"I wouldn't put it past her." as Percy and I chuckled.

"The point is, just go for it Annabeth. Take the chance. Don't be afraid. Go after your dreams! You'll never know if you could win if you always keep doubting yourself and never try. I know you can win Wise Girl. I just know it."

 _Take the chance. Don't doubt yourself._

Don't be afraid.

"I..I guess you're right." I finally said, my confidence rising as I talked to Percy.

"Of course I'm right Annabeth. I'm always right about this stuff." Percy proudly stated, which made me roll my eyes.

 _Well, Percy's not wrong.._

"Okay. I think I'm going to participate Percy." At that, Percy started beaming, which increased my confidence even more.

"That's great Annabeth! Man, I'm so freaking proud of you! I can't wait to see you do well in that competition, which I KNOW you will! Well, I'll call you tomorrow. Good luck! Up top Wise Girl?" he asked as he put his hand over the webcam.

I smiled at him. "Alright! I'll see you tomorrow Seaweed Brain. Up top..wait. Are you going to psych me out like last time?" I asked giving Percy an incredulous look.

Percy looked at me with fake offense. "How dare you suggest such a thing."

"Well, I wouldn't past you; you did leave a girl who won an art award hanging…"

Percy moaned. "Can you just take my high five Wise Girl? Sheesh." he muttered as I grinned and high fived him back.

"Alright. Bye Annabeth!"

"Bye Percy!"

As I hung up, a big smile couldn't help but remain on my face as I took another look at the contest flyer.

 _A chance to achieve my dreams..._

Like so many times before, I felt renewed confidence in me. Percy always had that amazing ability to do that. Knowing that Percy believed in me MADE me believe in myself. Knowing that he trusted me made me trust myself.

I felt like confident Annabeth.

 _Yeah. I can do this! This is a great opportunity! Just take the chance and go for it._ _Why am I scared in the first place?_

Don't be afraid.

* * *

 **I know that girl**

 **(Percy POV)**

As I hung up my Iris-Message call with Annabeth, the smile on my face couldn't help but remain.

 _I'm going to participate Percy._

I was so happy for Annabeth! Excited. Super pumped! Just..yeah! I felt like I was the one who was going to compete instead of Annabeth in this architecture competition.

 _I know you can do it Wise Girl! Go get'em girl!_

I couldn't help myself. I knew how much Annabeth LOVED and was obsessed with architecture! That girl practically spent whole hours after middle school drawing and sketching, all while I was looking at her in amusement. Whenever she had a new design or concept, I was always the first person Annabeth showed it to. And I would always be by her side whenever she competed and, of course, won her contest.

I knew for sure Annabeth would be an architect. Now she had a chance to achieve her dreams.

And I couldn't be more ecstatic and proud of Wise Girl.

 _Man, after not talking to her for over a month, I forgot how much I really care about Annabeth and her personal ambitions..._

At lunch the next day, I was on my phone, scrolling through some pictures of Hollywood. Will and Nico were sitting at a nearby table. The two were, yet again, arguing, now about how Nico kept hogging the popcorn bowl when the two went to see _Black Panther._

 _When is one day those two DON'T fight?_

As I had been doing the whole night before, I was searching and looking at all the cool attraction sites in California on my phone, earbuds in ear, listening to _Dreamer_ by _Axwell & Ingrosso_. Annabeth had shown me the song a while back.

 **(A/N: Great song! Definitely check it out! )**

It felt appropriate to play. _Wise Girl was going after her dreams!_

"Hey, Percy." Reyna said as she slid down next to me on the lunch table, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, hey!" I replied, giving a smile, removing my earbuds. "So, one day left till your volleyball final Reyna. You excited?"

"Yes! One win and then we go to the finals for the first time in Jupiter High School's history! Clarisse keeps asking me repeatedly to join her volleyball practices. She's really set on winning. But I kept saying no. I..I prefer playing with Nico, Will, and you."

"Hey, I don't blame you for skipping. I couldn't tolerate 5 minutes of having Clarisse boss me around. Besides you're good enough without practice Reyna from what I saw! That's why you kicked Nico's butt."

Reyna gave a little laugh. "Well, you're right about that. I've..I've been following your advice you gave me Percy"

I smiled. "I'm really glad you are. You know, my stubbornness can come in handy at times"

"Oh be quiet." Reyna then stated, giving me a little shoulder nudge. I looked over at Reyna for a bit, surprised by her sudden swift action. However, I couldn't help but let out a grin after a while by her easy attitude.

 _She's starting to be less strict. Less like old Reyna._

More like.. herself.

That was good.

"So, um, what..what are you doing now Percy?" Reyna asked.

"Oh," I stated, tensing up a bit. I got weirdly defensive as Reyna asked the question, Annabeth's competition in mind. I quickly put my phone out of her view, which still had some search results from Google on California.

"Um, nothing." I quickly replied.

"Nothing? Seems like you were doing something before I came," she noted.

"Hey, I wasn't!"

"I just saw you try to hide your phone from me, Percy." Reyna said, giving a little grin.

"No, I wasn't doing that! I wasn't..hey!" Reyna suddenly swooped over and grabbed my phone.

"Reyna!" I protested. Reyna had a mischievous smile on her face, my phone in hand, seemingly about to mock and tease me. However, her eyes widened as she noticed the content on my phone.

"Um.. _best places to eat in California_?" Reyna asked, a confused look on her face.

"Uh.."

"Why..why are you looking up places to eat in California?"

"I just..I.."

"Are you planning a trip there Percy? I'm not judging but spring break is around two weeks from now."

"No, I'm..I'm not. I'm.." I began, unsure of whether to reveal Annabeth's upcoming competition to Reyna. However, from the firm look Reyna was giving me, she wasn't going to accept a bs answer. I also didn't want to lie to Reyna.

Further, truthfully, I really wanted to talk about this competition with someone. I was super excited for Annabeth, more than she was probably. I also considered Reyna a good friend of mine.

She seemed like a good person to talk to about this.

"You know Annabeth Reyna, right? The person I was calling in my bedroom when you went to my house?" I finally said.

"Oh yes. Annabeth. The blonde girl. You told me she's your best friend, right?"

"Yes. My..my best friend..." I stated, feeling some sadness take over me at the word _best friend._ However, I quickly feeling off and continued. "Anyways, I was calling Annabeth yesterday. She told me about a national architecture competition that was taking place in California next week."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! An architecture competition. The theme for this year is Greek architecture. Annabeth is planning on participating."

"Wow. That's awesome!"

"I know! The competition is about one week long so I thought I would look up some cool places for Annabeth to visit in California for her time there."

"That's really nice of you to do," Reyna noted.

"I mean, Annabeth really loves architecture Reyna. She's also AMAZING at drawing and sketching. Her dream has always been to be an architect! I can't help but feel excited for her for the contest!"

"I can tell your anticipation. You get all jumpy and fidgety, like during volleyball."

"Hey, I don't do that!" I moaned as Reyna gave a little laugh.

"So, what's the name of the contest?" she continued.

" _10th National Future Architects Contest."_

"Really?" Reyna asked, her voice assuming a quizzical look. I looked over at her and noticed it.

"What's..what's with that look?" I asked Reyna.

"No. It's nothing. I just had a close friend of mine compete in that competition once Percy."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She got knocked out in the first round. And she's quite at sketching from what I can tell. She told me it was very hard. The judges were very harsh and strict in their grading."

"Annabeth is amazing at drawing though Reyna! Her sketches are incredible. I'm sure she'll do fine!"

"And I'm sure of it too. But I would warn her about the difficulty of the whole event though just to let her know."

"Hey! Annabeth knows that already! I know that already! Still, I KNOW she can win the whole competition. She's that talented! I know it!" I exclaimed. My voice began to weirdly get a bit loud, some intensity overtaking me, my sea-green eyes growing fiercer. Reyna studied me for a while, those steely, calculating warrior eyes of her examining me.

"You know, you remind me of...Hylla a bit Percy. She was always an optimist about me. Having faith. That tenacity. I always admired that.."

"Well is that a bad thing? To be optimistic? To have a lot of faith and hope in someone?" I inquired in quite a harsh tone, like a lawyer grilling a witness.

"No, it..it isn't! But still, one should always be cautious when pursuing something hard."

"Hey, what in Hades do you know about Annabeth Reyna? You don't know anything about Annabeth!" I finally exclaimed, my voice rising, my eyes harsh, fists clenched. Some people around the lunch table began to look over at me, puzzled.

I didn't know why I was acting this way. Reyna was making some reasonable points. It was all well-intentioned.

But hearing someone doubt my Annabeth made me angry. It felt like they were doubting ME. That they didn't have faith in her abilities. In how awesome she was.

 _That girl is f*cking talented as hell! She has so much talent. She's..she's amazing._

That's why I love her...

Reyna stared on at me for a while, taken aback by my sudden outburst of emotion. I had never gotten angry at Reyna before, ever.

"Percy..."

I then realized I had lost my temper. I looked at Reyna, blinking my sea-green eyes, trying to get out of this random, sudden emotional daze. "Oh...oh my gods Reyna. I'm..I'm so sorry for getting angry at you! I don't know what got over me. I didn't mean to be angry at you!." I stated, redness overtaking my face.

"No Percy that's ok..." Reyna replied, putting her hand on me.

"No Reyna. It's not! It's.." I stated. I then took a deep breath. "Look. I just can't stand if someone doubts Annabeth Reyna. I can't. So many times I've heard people make fun of that girl. Tease her. Doubt her abilities. Try to make her feel worthless and like sh*t. And I f*cking hate it. I know Annabeth. She's so smart. Talented. Gifted. She's really ... amazing. I.."

 _I love her a lot._

I cleared my throat, shaking off the sudden surge of deep emotional feelings I had for Annabeth I felt within me. "I'm really sorry I lost my temper with you, Reyna. But I can't stand still and hear someone doubt Annabeth. I know that girl. I know she can win the competition. And I know she'll become an architect when she grows up. She's..she's that awesome." The whole time, Reyna continued to look on at me, some mixture of confusion, awe, and wonderment on her face by my random temper change. For a while, it looked she wanted to say something and bring up something. However, eventually, she slowly replied.

"Okay, Percy. That's ok. I forgive you. I..I wish your..your friend luck in the competition." she stated. For the rest of the while, I continued to awkwardly eat my lunch, sensing that Reyna was still observing me. I let out a Greek curse to myself.

 _Man, I care about Annabeth and her ambitions A LOT._

Yet I couldn't. I couldn't help myself.

 _I care and love that girl too f*cking much._

* * *

 **Realistic**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

At lunch the next day I told my friends about the architecture competition.

"Wow, that's so cool Annabeth!" Piper exclaimed.

"I know! I'm super excited Pipes! I talked to Samantha about it. She said she was more than fine with me going. And I'm calling my dad tomorrow after school and asking him his opinion."

Piper gave me a little playful friend-to-friend nudge on the shoulders, her face in a wide grin. "I'm so happy for you girl! Damn California. My dad Tristan McLean works in Hollywood, you know? Maybe I can ask him to give you a special VIP exclusive tour, just for you! Of course, I, er, wouldn't recommend it. Ugh, you know how much I hate Hollywood Annabeth. All that makeup crap they do. So fake."

I gave a chuckle and smirked. "Hmm. And this is coming from the girl who begged to do my makeup when we went to that Thanksgiving event… "

Piper frowned "Hey! That's because you're my best friend! You should be lucky you have a friend who cares about how you look. That's why I gave you that nickname there _Miss Princess_."

I sighed as Piper, yet again, used that annoying Miss Princess nickname on me.

 _Percy is the only person I'm okay with using that Princess name…_

"Ugh. You know, I kind of want to go to California just so I could stop hearing you call me that for a week." I muttered which got Piper to give me a loving punch on the shoulder, to the grins of the other girls.

"Shut up." Piper muttered.

"So, how long is the competition Annabeth?" Hazel asked.

"It's around one week long. The judges are asking the students to create multiple architecture sketches."

"Wow, one week long? We have a meet against Hunter High next week," Rachel noted.

"Yeah. I know Rachel. I really wanted to participate. I'm so sorry for that."

Rachel gave a shrug and patted me on the back. "Hey, no problem there Annabeth! I'm just going to have to get.. creative to win if you know what I mean. Also, with Piper, Silena, and Hazel's rather raucous cheering to look forward to, I should be ok." Rachel stated, which got me to smile.

"I really worry for you in California though Annabeth." Silena said, her arms around me, pearly black eyes assuming a soft look to them. "Mostly because all the hot surfer guys would be SO on you girl."

"Silena!" I moaned as the girls laughed.

Silena grinned. "Kidding. But still, I am worried for you Annabeth. You'll be by yourself for most of the week."

I gave a soft nod. "I know Sils. This is going to be my first time far away from home. I'm..I'm kind of nervous."

"Hey, don't worry! You always have me to call if you need anyone to talk to! And I'm sure the other girls feel the same. Just dial me up and I'll pick up instantly!" Silena finally said as she gave me a hug.

"Just don't call me at night Annabeth. I need my 9 hours of sleep. But yeah I'm free other than that." Piper shrugged.

I chuckled "Thanks, girls. I..I just hope this competition is worth all the time. Mr. Chiron told me it's super hard to win..."

"Annabeth. Of course, it's worth it! You're doing something you absolutely love! Plus, I'm a hundred percent sure that you're going to win girl. You don't win sketching contests without being super damn good at it. " Silena stated, giving me a big grin.

"Absolutely!" Hazel stated.

"Not to mention you're like the best runner on the CHB girl's track team." Rachel grinned.

"Mmm. Drew learned that lesson really well there my dear Annabeth." Piper finally said.

I laughed again as I gathered all my friends for a group hug. "Gods you know, you all can be SO freaking annoying, Piper especially, but you're all so f*cking awesome!"

Piper grinned. "Just doing my job there Miss Princess that's all." as she returned my hug, me giving Piper alittle-patentedd Annabeth punch on the arm. I was feeling super confident at that point. My Iris-call with Percy from yesterday began to ring in my ears.

 _You always wanted to be an architect Annabeth. This is a chance to go after your dreams! You don't know if you're good if you don't try._

Don't be afraid.

I was ready to take on this competition!

At my locker after school, I grabbed my books, about to head out back to my place, about to call Percy. I was feeling super pumped, my headphones over my ears, song _Dreamer_ by _Axwell & Ingrosso _playing.

I really loved that song. And it seemed appropriate for the upcoming competition.

 _I'm going after my dreams after all!_

"Hey, Annabeth!" I closed my locker to come face to face wit my ex-boyfriend Luke.

"Oh hey, Luke!" I replied giving a smile. For the past weeks after our breakup, Luke had been acting really nice and sweet to me, which I was appreciative of. Luke said he was trying to change. And I could see it. We hang out sometimes in lunch, class, morning assembly, Luke acting like a good friend in general.

For an ex-girlfriend and ex-boyfriend, I would say we were on good terms.

"So, what's up?" I asked him.

"Nothing much Annabeth. Just finished kicking Charle's a** in b-ball during gym."

"Oh of course." I muttered, discreetly rolling my eyes at Luke's sports talk yet again. "You and your basketball."

Luke faked a look of offense. "Hey! Basketball is a good sport there."

"Mmm. Man, you haven't changed at all Luke."

Luke grinned. "I mean, I am considered the stereotypical dumb jock. Which means I like sports and pretty girls. So I kind of have to live up to my reputation, you know?"

"Well, I'm glad you're honest about that." I sarcastically replied which got Luke to chuckle.

"So, how about you Annabeth? What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I'm planning on going to H&M near the One World Trade Center to get some new sneakers for track. Afterward, go home, Iris-Message some friends.

"That's cool. "

"Thanks. Oh.. oh shoot; I should tell you Luke. I'm participating in an architecture competition!"

"Wow. Really Annabeth?"

"Yeah! An architecture competition! The _10th National Future Architects Contest_. The theme for this year is Greek architecture. The contest will be held in California for the whole week."

"That sounds really cool."

"I know. I'm super excited! I'm definitely going to have to make time to get a picture in front of the Hollywood sign. Silena will be SO jealous."

Luke gave a little grin. "I'm sure she will be," which got me to chuckle. However, I could sense some uneasiness on Luke's face. A look of apprehension.

"What's..what's wrong Luke?" I asked, noticing it.

"No. It's nothing Annabeth! I'm obviously excited for you! And I hope you have fun there. But isn't your track contest and academic decathlon practice next week as well?"

"Yeah it..it is Luke. But Mr. Chiron told me it's not a big problem though! He'll email my coaches that I can't participate."

"That's good. But man, it sucks you have to skip Annabeth. I know you've been practicing extremely hard for the past weeks."

"I..I have."

"Also California. Dang. That's really far away. Are you taking any of the girls with you for company at least?"

"No. I can't. I have to go by myself Luke."

"Oh that sucks."

"I..I know. Silena and the girls said I could always call them anytime, which was sweet. But I..I wish I had a friend to bring with me." I softly replied. At those words, Percy crossed into my mind.

 _I..I would love to have Percy beside me if I'm going. He was always there alongside me whenever I had a competition..._

Slowly but surely some uncertainty began to creep back in me again.

"What's the contest called Annabeth again?" Luke asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"The _10th National Future Architects Contest._ "

"I..I think I've heard about this competition already! Charles told me that his half-bro, Jake Mason, was interested in competing in it a year ago."

"Really?

"Yeah. But apparently, he decided not to. It was for a number reasons; Jake had a robotics final competition coming up. Also, he was interning at his dad Hephaestus tech company. But Jake also mentioned the contest was very hard to win."

"I know. Mr. Chiron said it's a very prestigious competition to win, with hundreds of students participating. Only the very best come out on top."

"Wow. I..I don't mean to be a party pooper but that sounds really daunting."

"I..I know Luke. But..but none of that matters though!" I exclaimed, the confident part of Annabeth coming out. "I like architecture! I want to pursue architecture. My..my dream is to be an architect!"

"I understand Annabeth. And it's great you have big dreams. But, sometimes, unfortunately, you have to be realistic about your goals and dreams."

"Realistic?"

"Yeah. Realistic. Unfortunately, life sometimes doesn't let you achieve those dreams. Take architecture for instance. It's a really cool and interesting field and I have some friends in college who are majoring in it. But they've all told me that the job market is extremely crowded currently. They're finding it hard to find internships, much less a job."

"I..I guess you're right." I managed to say after a while of thinking. Luke had a valid point. From my research, the architecture job market currently was very volatile and bloated with a rather poor jobs outlook. In addition, as a girl, it was extremely hard to get a job in the field. Architecture was always viewed as a man's job and I would have to work extremely hard if I pursued architecture.

 _Maybe..maybe Luke is right._

However, Percy's voice suddenly entered my mind.

 _But you like architecture Annabeth! It's been your dream since you were a little girl! Who cares about all that? If you love architecture then go for it!_

"But, I.. I like architecture though Luke! My.. my dream is to be an architect! " I reiterated. However, I felt my own voice dip a bit, that confidence I felt from before waning.

Luke gave a sympathetic nod. "I know Annabeth. I understand. We all have dreams to become something. But, unfortunately, sometimes dreams just turn out to be dreams. Look I love basketball and football. And I'm good at it! But I know in the end that it's something fun I like to do."

"But if you really like basketball and football Luke, you should continue doing it!"

"I guess. But I already tried out for some football and basketball tryouts for colleges in the tri-state area Annabeth. The scouts kept saying I wasn't good enough."

"Hey! Just because you failed the first time doesn't mean you should give up! You..you shouldn't give up on your dreams Luke." I then said. It was a piece of advice Percy would tell whenever I felt down working on my sketches.

And I usually would feel reassured.

However, Percy's voice and words seemed to fade as I continued thinking about Luke's words.

 _Luke..Luke has a point..._

Old, shy, unconfident Annabeth started to reemerge in me.

Luke suddenly put both his hands on my shoulder and looked me straight into my gray eyes, his blue eyes assuming a soft look to them. "Look Annabeth, I know you're a very good sketcher. A great sketcher! And you love architecture. And I won't say this if I weren't your friend. But I'm saying this because you are my friend. I feel like you have a much better chance if you stick with track or academic decathlon and focus on that rather than architecture. Sometimes, it's better to do something you're sure in then take a chance on a dream. In something, you're not sure in. Where you don't know what the results will be. Where there's no certain outcome."

"I..I guess you have a point, Luke." I finally said after some long, deep musing. Luke gave me a soft smile.

"Okay, Annabeth. Again, I hope you don't take this the wrong way. In the end, it's up to you. But I'm just giving you advice. Letting you know how it is. Sometimes, it's better to not take a chance in something you're not sure in than take a chance and be disappointed." Luke stated as he went off towards his friend.

As I exited the school, walking to H&M, the feelings of immense confidence and excitement I felt from Percy were gone. The attitude of new Annabeth beginning to fade away.

They were replaced with some new feelings. Feelings old Annabeth would have that I hated.

Feelings of worry and uncertainty. Fear. Scared. Scared to try something new. To take a chance in something.

 _Luke is right. It's not realistic. My..my dream is not realistic. I'm not going to win the competition. I'm..I'm not going to be an architect._

It's just a dream. Always just a dream. There's..there's no certain outcome if I pursue architecture. I..I know I'm good but I'm not that good.

 _I don't want to take the chance and be hurt…_

* * *

 **A/N: As stated, this is Part 1 of the Chapter. I'll try to get Part II out by the coming three weeks. I'll be updating my other story first then this one. Plus I have some school stuff to attend to.**

 **Also, there are around 6 chapters left for this story :(.** **Ok don't worry and panic. I'll explain more details next chapters. It's a little surprise I have ;)**

 **So we left off with that cliffhanger of Luke telling Annabeth not to participate in the competition. Now, I hope you don't take Luke's words as mean or intended to hurt. It wasn't. Iit was more so that a kind of "painful truth" advice if you know what I mean. That your dreams are unachievable/not realistic. I think we all know that type of person in our lives who gives us this sort of advice. Sometimes it's from people we're really close with.**

 **However, Percy obviously cares for Annabeth. A lot. And his words of confidence in her are out of love and tremendous faith in Annabeth, which is so sweet. So the next chapter we'll see if Annabeth participates or not. Also, get the metaphor of Annabeth being afraid to take a chance in the competition with something else?**

 **Further, I KNOW this is not how canon Annabeth would behave. However, this is an AU story and I did change Wise Girl to be more relatable. She'll eventually merge to our lovable canon Annabeth. Plus Wise Girl overall pretty much the same from the books; smart, good sense of humor, likes to annoy Percy a lot :D.**

 **Anyways, please follows, favs, and review! Review especially :). And stay awesome everyone. I'm out!**

 **-FrictionFiction108**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **b hare 888: Hey! Thanks so much for reviewing Chapter 16! SO freaking sorry that I didn't respond to your review! I swear to the gods that I did but apparently fanfiction didn't save it. It wasn't intentional or anything and I wanted to send a PM saying thanks but you're PM was turned off. I hope I didn't make you feel bad or anything :(**

 **Anyways, I'm really happy like the story (as well as House of Olympus) and my admittedly weird, quirky sense of humor. Yep, I love humor. Though this story is quite deep and emotional, I will always try to insert some humor and lightheartedness here and there if I can.**

 **Paintball331:**

 **Damn. I hope this story isn't torture for you. Slow burn, yes. Buuuuut, I hope it's not torture. Consider it… a slow, agonizing, interesting, nice Percabeth journey :)**

 **Swirly Melodies (both reviews):**

 **Oh gods, you're so freaking awesome. Thanks so much! :D I'm so happy you like this story. And this has become your favorite? Eeeeee thanks. Virtual high five!**

 **I absolutely LOVED your review on Chapter 15! It was so deep and insightful, how you went over all the things you liked about the story like the plot, character development. It made me smile so much on a day that I was working and feeling like absolute sh*t. I have nothing but love for you and thanks SO much for taking the time to write that! Admittedly, I wasn't feeling too happy the day I released the Christmas message update for your review response since I was supposed to work :(. So I was feeling salty when I ranted about my story, which I feel was totally not cool at all and apologize. But your review made me smile so much and I thank you! I'm just glad that there are people who understand and appreciate the time/effort/heart I put into this story. That's all I ever want :)**

 **Hope to be seeing you again for the coming chapters! Love you!**

 **Jodanfritz10:**

 **Sorry, bro. I don't like to think I'm evil but maybe I am :/ Percabeth will get together. Don't worry. I have your back :)**

 **Tinypurpledino:**

 **Thanks! Really happy you liked that Percabeth conversation. I tried to make it as awkward as possible in the beginning but honestly, Percy and Annabeth are two star crossed lovers that will always find their way back to each other and reconnect like a puzzle, regardless if they're apart. That was evidenced by the fact that in The Mark of Athena, Annabeth literally judo-flipped her boyfriend when they reconnected :D.**

 **Also happy you liked Reyna's backstory! I was a bit worried admittedly that it might seem too deep. And I wanted it to be as cannon-ish as possible. But I thought this was the best backstory for her. To show this deep love she has for her sister and relate it to Percy's love for Annabeth.**

 **Iheartbooks1: Tip my hat as always for the great review!**

 **Minecraftgraces: Glad you enjoyed it.**

 **Percabeth824: How are ya Pocket Aces? Sorry for putting your nickname on blast. Don't kill me please...**

 **Anywhooo…thanks for sticking with this story.** **Also, I'll definitely reward you and everyone some Percabeth fluff when they get together. I love me some Percabeth fluff as much as anyone and you definitely deserve some ;)**

 **Also, Snapchat is LEGEND compared to Instagram. Lol, joke. Snapchat is eh now after the update. Hence the little shade in the middle :)**

 **OliviaYT:**

 **Thanks Olivia. Always love your reviews. They're a nice mix of kind words and passive aggressiveness towards me, which is nice.**

 **Also, ugh, I'm not a bird like you said in my House of Olympus review! That's mean of you to say that :(. You're better than that girl :).**

 **EmmaBloomFan22:**

 **Course I would respond to your review! Especially when you made SUCH an interesting plot proposal on Percy and Reyna….**

 **No they're not getting married like I said : )**

 **And I don't think I'm on legendary status yet there. Glad I'm legendary for you tho :D**

 **Also so sorry I'm torturing you with this Percabeth drama. You have every right to yell and send me Greek curses every time something dramatic happens.**

 **Lelantus:**

 **Thanks! Appreciate those kind words. And I'm planning on updating at least once per 2 weeks for now if I can. I just had a bunch of stuff happening the past months and I couldn't focus on fanfic :(. Trying to get back into the groove though.**

 **Thesweetscentofbooks:**

 **I know! They're my fav stories too! But they're so sad though :( . I always expect to feel the feels whenever AWG uploads a new chapter. And I hate Rafael (Raphael. Rafel. Honestly Idgaf what his name is).**

 **Mario and BFDI Bros:**

 **Happy you liked the last chapter! Reyna's backstory was semi-borrowed from the books; admittedly I use PJO wiki for these stories to refresh my memory. But, I didn't have Percy/Annabeth accidentally ruin Reyna's life earlier. That just seemed to..cruel. And Hylla/Reyna are on better terms in PJO than they are in my fanfic.**

 **Also thanks for those words of support in your PM to me. I've been feeling like crap the past few weeks so it definitely helped!**

 **Imasurvivor21:**

 **Thank you!**

 **Twitter25: Appreciate it. I'm not a big fan of those short chapters that some people like to put out, unless it's an update or something. I feel like as an author, I owe my readers to give them a good, lengthy chapter and make it worthwhile for them to read. Granted, it takes time buuuut,** **I feel like a story is better developed through it.**

 **ArtemisNewHunter:**

 **MEH. Thanks** **Violet. I hope you're doing well! I haven't seen a response to my PM to you on the fanfic app :(. Hope you're ok girl.**

 **Anyways, I'm glad you liked Chapter 17! You're reviews are always so awesome. Further, about your plot proposal with Reyna, Percy, Annabeth, I have a different plot planned out but yes, jealous Annabeth is kinda funny admittedly as bad as I might sound saying that. Those interactions between Annabeth and Rachel in The Battle of the Labyrinth are SO funny. Moody Wise Girl is pretty freaking cute and funny to see.**

 **But I have a different plot planned. And I think you're going to like it ;)**

 **Guest:**

 **Glad you liked my story! Also on my Giants. Eh, you're right. We suck. And I'm salty that the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Congrats to them but I skipped the SB : ). I would've been salty if either the Pats or Eagles won. I dislike both teams as a New Yorker. But my Yankees are going to be good this year. And their season is starting soon.**

 **So me very excited mwahaha :).**

* * *

 **(A/N 1): Sherlock Holmes BBC series is one of my favorite tv shows. Definitely** **watch it if you haven't!**

 **(A/N 2): Little shade on Snapchat. They done goofed the last update...**


	20. Putting Just Friends on Hiatus (skip)

**Update: Skip this chapter. _"Just Friends_ " is not on hiatus. Don't panic everyone :)**


	21. Status of Just Friends (skip)

**What are you doing reading this... The story isn't on hiatus. Continue reading :)**


	22. Chapter 19 - Scared Part II

**(A/N: You know the drill. Sorry for any grammatical or sentence structure errors)**

* * *

 **Chapter 19 – Scared Part II**

 **Decision**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

The walk home from school was a long one.

It was a pretty beautiful Wednesday afternoon here in New York actually. The weather was a bright, sunny, hot 70 degrees, which was pretty rare considering it was still April. Walking past the 9/11 memorial towards the Brooklyn Bridge, the memorial's water fountain was currently cascading freely down the side in full, powerful force, the sunlight reflecting and glistening off the water, the One World Trade Center hovering over in a daunting, majestic manner right beside. There were some tourists gathering around the memorial fountain at the moment, paying their respects and silence to the victims, as well as admiring the memorial fountain.

However, my mood didn't suit the current weather, mind still in a conflict about the competition. _My emotions .. conflicted_. There was a tug of war going on inside me, the confident, new Annabeth saying I should compete in the competition and that shy, old Annabeth saying I should not.

 _The tug of war I felt so many times before …_

It wasn't realistic. There's no certain outcome. It's .. it's better if I don't take a chance...

Arriving at my apartment, I was greeted by the sight of Samantha in the front, home phone in her left hand, iPad in right.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Samantha started as I walked in, giving me a hug. "Great that you got home already! There's someone on the phone for you!"

"Who is it?"

"It's from your dad. He's been waiting for a couple of minutes to speak to you. He seems pretty eager to as well."

"Ok. Let me .. let me get settled first and then I'll speak to dad." I stated as I put my bookbag on the living room couch, taking out the competition flyer Mr. Chiron gave me before.

"Alright, Annabeth! I'll put the phone on the kitchen counter. Have fun talking to your dad! In the meantime, I'll just be retiring to my bedroom for some evening movie binging thank you very much! Oh, I can not WAIT to continue watching _Avengers: Infinity War._ The movie is SOOO good. Although I think the free streaming link my friend gave me might have viruses or something but who freaking cares!" **(*A/N 1)**

I gave a little laugh. "Alright, Samantha. Have fun with your illegally streamed movie." as I took the home phone and departed to my bedroom.

"Hey, dad." I softly started as I went inside my room, placing the phone to my ear, lying down on my bed, flyer still in hand.-

"Hey Annabeth." dad replied. I noticed dad's voice was subdued and a little hoarse. "So, how is everything? School, clubs going ok?"

"Yeah, everything .. is good dad. I have some upcoming math and art tests this Friday. And I'm planning on going to Bloomingdale's at Lexington Avenue with the girls afterward."

"Oh, that's great. Hey, you know Annabeth, I still am waiting for your drawing that was due this past Sunday..."

I frowned a bit. "Dad! I told you I was busy last Sunday. You're treating this like it's homework or something."

Dad let out a little chuckle. "I'm sorry dear but I really did mean it when I said I'm expecting a new drawing from you each Sunday. As a college professor, I'm kind of a stickler for punctuality on assignments I give out. And that, unfortunately, extends to my little girl.."

"Dad.." I groaned. However, I couldn't help but let out a smile and laugh.

"Alright, don't worry dad. You'll get a new drawing this Sunday! Two in fact. That will be more than enough to appease you _Mr. Professor_."

"Ha-ha, very funny Annabeth. I can't wait to see them! I always love seeing your new drawings. I .. I could really use some now…" he replied, voice fading at the end.

Dad then quickly asked. "So.. you have anything else going on over there you want to talk about with me? Teachers giving you a tough time? Friends? Possible boyfriend issues I should know about being your father, ahem?"

"Dad!" I groaned again as I heard another chuckle. However, quickly, my mind turned to the architecture competition.=

"Actually, there's .. there's something I should tell you about." I finally managed after a while of musing.

"What is it Annabeth?"

"There's an architecture competition coming up soon."

"Wow, really?" dad stated, his voice rising with interest.

"Yeah," I replied, though the interest and enthusiasm were not reciprocated. _The 10th National Future Architects Contest_. Mr. Chiron called me into his office earlier this week to talk to me about it. The theme for this year is Greek and Roman architecture. They want to see how high school students are able to blend the old and the modern in their building designs. The winner gets a $10,000 scholarship for any college of their choosing."

"That's really cool! Man, I always had a particular soft spot for Greek architecture Annabeth. It's amazing how, even after thousands of years, we still see the influence of the ancient Greeks in our modern society. Hey, on the subject of Greece, I'm actually going there this summer again to do some research on the Peloponnesian War with some friends of mine! Oh, it's going to be so freaking awesome! The amazing local historians I'm meeting. Not to mention visiting museums that have ACTUAL artifacts from the war, still in pristine condition, which blows my mind and… oh shoot I'm going on a history tangent aren't I?" dad awkwardly uttered, becoming self-aware of his little history nerd out.

I laughed and smirked. "Mmm. I knew you would eventually geek out on something history related in our phone call dad." I joked, which got dad to groan to my amusement.

"Well, anyways, I'm really happy for you. Good luck! Hope you do well in your competition dear!"

My smile quickly faded. "Um, actually, I..I don't know if I'm going to participate in the competition dad."

"W..what? Annabeth. Why .. why not?" dad quickly exclaimed, shock present in his tone.

"The competition is in California."

"Oh."

"Yeah. It starts this upcoming Monday. The competition lasts the whole week."

"Well, that's not bad!" dad stated. "I know California is far away from New York and that might seem daunting. But California is a very lovely place with awesome people. I'm more than sure you'll make friends during your stay. Although I should say Annabeth I had gone to UC Berkeley before for a conference lecture and the kids there were a wee bit too .. hippy for my liking. Just an honest FYI as an old-timer."

I gave a half smile. "I .. I guess. But still, it's something you have to consider. Also, the expenses for the California trip. Plane ticket, hotel.."

"Oh," I noticed that dad's voice had suddenly lowered a bit.

"I .. I mean, Mr. Chiron said the school would be willing to pay for a majority of my travel expenses. So that's good obviously! But .. but we still have to pay for some expenses in the end! And I .. I thought, you know, we have to be economically sound about our finances dad. Save for other things." I nervously uttered. Truthfully though, that was all an excuse, mind continuing to play Luke's advice from earlier.

 _It's just a dream._ _You don't know what the results will be._

It's better to not take a chance.

My dad continued to stay silent for a while. Eventually, after what seemed like forever, he finally spoke, though hesitant.

"Actually, I.. I should let you know about something Annabeth. I've .. I've been laid off my job." For a while, I stayed silent, not registering what dad had said.

"What?"

"Hey it's nothing to worry about dear! " dad swiftly responded, sensing my worriedness. "This was a decision that was already decided upon a long time ago. The history department at Oxford University had to lay off some staff due to some recent budget cuts. And I, unfortunately, got the boot. Things like history and liberal arts do not necessarily gain as much respect nor funding as STEM-related majors. It's something I've despised from both American and British universities through my experience." dad muttered.

"So .. so what are you planning on doing now?"

"Well, thank the gods, I was offered a new job by _University of Cambridge_ at their history department. Some of my colleagues are also coming along with me, which is neat. But, I won't assume the job until the upcoming fall semester. So, for now, I am unemployed. And money has been tight admittedly and I've been forced to tap into my savings a bit. But hey, on the bright side, that means I get to spend more time with your stepbrothers Bobby and Matthew. You know Annabeth, I've just found out what this _Fortnite_ is that everyone has been talking about. I've played with Bobby on his Playstation and I am absolutely clueless of the game's appeal. Why are you rewarded with tearing down structural elements of your game environment?"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

 _Dad is such an old guy…_

However, quickly, my mind went back to the competition.

"I..I guess that means I can't go to the competition in California huh?" I concluded.

"Annabeth, no, please don't think that way!" dad exclaimed. "Again, this is NOT a big deal dear. It isn't! I'm letting you know this because, as your father, I want to be honest with you about my financial situation. I want to be open with you, unlike before. If you want to go to this competition, by all means, I will be more than willing and happy to pay for your expenses! It really depends on what you want Annabeth. What your heart wants."

 _What your heart wants..._

"I .. I don't know what I want though.." I admitted to dad, being honest with him. "Mr. Chiron told me that this competition is extremely prestigious. There's going to be so many kids competing from all around the country."

"Annabeth, I know that all sounds overbearing. And I wouldn't blame you if your nervous about this contest. But you shouldn't doubt yourself and your abilities. You're extremely talented and gifted! It doesn't matter if you win or don't win, it's a great opportunity regardless!

"Yeah but I …I mean still. It's something you have to factor in! And I'm .. I'm.." I stammered.

 _I'm scared. Scared to take a chance..._

"I just don't think I'm good dad!" I finally exclaimed, my voice a bit raised. "I'm .. I'm not good! I can't win. I .. I don't know what's going to happen in the contest!" I reiterated, voice raising more and more. For a while, some awkward silence persisted in the call, my father mute.

After a while, dad spoke. "You know Annabeth, you remind me so much of your mother. Always having that stubbornness and ignorance to things, even if it's in plain sight in front of you. Having fear of something even if it's not warranted." My dad then cleared his throat. "Look Annabeth. In the end, it's your choice if you want to participate in the contest. I will never force my own daughter to do something she doesn't want to do. But I really want you to think long and hard about this! I believe this contest will be such a great experience for you! And I really think you can win it all. Chances like this don't come often, you know? If you never take the chance, when will you?"

 _Take a chance. Don't be afraid._

My dad's advice sounded so similar to Percy's it almost hurt.

"O.. ok." I finally managed.

"Alright dear. I have to go now. Bobby is expecting me to play some more Fortnite with him now. Oh, gods, I am going to get my butt absolutely kicked. Um, anyways, I'll call you next week Annabeth! And please, again, don't worry about me! It's all about what you want."

I gave a little laugh, though more forced and reserved. I then said goodbye to dad, hanging up the phone, letting out an exhale. For a while, I laid on my bed, mind in a whirlpool, going over dad's advice. Luke's advice. My friends' advice.

 _Percy's advice ..._

Almost immediately, I thought about one thing.

 _My first art competition award._

I got out of my bedroom and headed toward the living room, Samantha still inside as I heard her scream out loud, presumably from the movie. I grabbed hold of my award alongside my prized Yankee hat on top of my piano set and stared at it for a while, running my fingers along the edges of the ribbon. Reading and rereading the words that were front and center of the award in big, bold, shiny gold letters.

 _Annabeth Chase. Winner of the 8th Grade Fall Art Competition!_

I could still vividly remember the day I got my award like it was yesterday. I had been in my 1st-period math class, working intently on my math test, (I think I did really well on that test by the way. Sorry. Just pointing out...). I remember how shocked I was when I suddenly heard my name on the loudspeaker.

" _The winner of the art and design competition is .. Annabeth Chase!"_

For a while I was in a momentary spell, not believing.

 _No this .. this must be a joke! How could I have won? I've never won an award before.._

Of course, I DID win.

As I exited my math class, still dazed, I caught a little glimpse of Percy in the back, who was trying his hardest to remain calm and cool like _yeah my best friend just won her first ever award._ _Nothing major!_ However, two problems; one, Seaweed Brain was NEVER that intently focused on a math test. Second, Percy couldn't hide the wide mischievous smile present on his face, his sea-green eyes light up with excitement and anticipation, Percy practically wanting to jump up from his seat to hug and congratulate me.

 _Mmm. Kelp Head. I should've known all along!_

Of course, I was annoyed at Percy afterward when I met him outside in class, giving him a signature Annabeth punch on the shoulder. I don't think there's ever a moment I DON'T feel a need to strangle Seaweed Brain.

But that was such a sweet and beautiful surprise he'd done for me. I felt myself get emotional as I hugged Percy, long and hard, losing myself in that amazing, always incredibly warm, open Percy embrace I came to love in our long friendship. Enjoying the fact that I had such an amazing, caring best friend right there for me. A friend that always had faith in me even when others didn't. A friend that always encouraged and motivated me whenever I felt unsure of myself. A friend that was always there when I had some hardship or challenge. A friend I could really, truly be goofy, weird, serious, any type of Annabeth.

 _A friend that I ..I fell in love with..._

Deep in love.

As these spiral of thoughts enclosed my mind, similar to after speaking with Percy for the first time in over a month, the harsh grimness of the situation started to settle in as I continued to stare at my art award, eyes glancing back at the competition flyer in hand, that tug of war continues to stir in full, painful force inside me.

 _I_ _.. I wish Percy were here. He'd always know what to say and do to comfort me..._

With Percy away, I felt .. alone. Even after talking to my dad, close friends for advice, there was really no one I could converse nor trusted as much as Percy. He was really the only person that truly understood me. Had that uncanny ability to make me feel better. Be true Annabeth.

 _It .. it wasn't the same without him here._

There was just something _different_ about being able to physically see and hold someone **.** To have that person that means so much to you be right there besides when you need it the most.

 _I'm .. I'm just fooling myself if I think speaking to Percy over the phone is enough. It .. it would never be enough. I WANTED more than that._

 _I missed Percy..._

A lot.

"OH, MY GODS ANNABETH!" Samantha suddenly yelped as she lunged out of her room, a half-empty bowl of popcorn in her hand, blanket slung over her shoulder, breaking me from my deep train of thoughts. "You seriously have GOT to see Infinity War! THAT ENDING. It was so freaking sad. Man, I need to talk about it with someone! But you haven't seen the movie yet though and I don't want to spoil it for you. But oh man I SERIOUSLY need to freaking speak about it with someone..."

I smiled a little bit, though my mood was considerably more bleak than earlier. "I'll .. I'll watch the movie after I'm done with my homework tonight. Then, afterward, I'll try to convince you once again why Iron Man is SO much better than Captain America..."

"Ugh, you are an IMPOSSIBLE girl to convince," Samantha muttered as I chuckled. "Anyways, how was your call with your father Annabeth? Oh, did you tell him about the competition in California? That contest sounds really cool you know."

My smiled dissipated. "Um, yeah, I.. I did. We talked about it for a bit."

Samantha smiled. "Cool! Well, I'm planning on going to Manhattan mall tomorrow Friday so if you need anything for the trip, great time to get it done. Of course, that IS if you decide you want to go to California Annabeth…" Samantha said, her expression getting a little more serious. For a while, I stared on at Samantha, glancing at the competition flyer, the text on it seemingly starting to fuzz like I had dyslexia.

 _Come on Annabeth_. _What are you worried about?_ Percy's voice suddenly started to say inside my head. _Just take a chance. Don't be afraid._ _I'm gonna be there for you._ _I promise.._

It was a little thing Percy would always say whenever I was worried. _Scared._ Before we rode Kingda Ka. Before karaoke on New Years.

And Percy WAS always there for me.

 _But .. but you're not here for me Percy. You're not beside me. You're .. you're away. You're gone. I don't have you._

I don't want to take a chance….

Taking a deep breath, I let out an exhale. I made my decision.

"No Samantha. I'm not going to go."

* * *

 **Volleyball championship**

 **(Reyna POV)**

I was pretty pumped for my volleyball semifinal game this Thursday night.

I decided to wear my purple Jupiter High School volleyball team shirt and shorts, which were still a little sweaty from last match, a tradition of mine. My long black hair was tied into a simple, messy ponytail. Mind stead-focused on our upcoming rivals, _Empousa High_ , going over some notes I had of them the last time we faced off.

 **(A/N: I changed the name of the high school Reyna is facing against from _Georgetown Prep_ to _Empousa High_ _School_. Not a big deal but just wanted to point that out. You'll see why I changed the school for obvious reasons ;))**

Also, I wore some eye black. Because I can NOT play volleyball competitively if I do not have eye black.

 _Hey. Everyone has their own pre-game rituals, right? Don't judge me._

The car ride to school was so much fun, Nico sitting shotgun with Tyson, Will and Percy hanging out in the back with me. The guys were playing a whole array of different music genres, Will some _One Republic_ and _Gavin DeGraw._ Percy playing some _Avicii **(**_ **RIP Avicii.)** and this group named _Vicetone,_ who were really good. Nico had put on some rap, in particular, DJ Khaled's _All I Do is Win,_ a classic pump up song for any sports-related event.

Tyson was also getting into the music-playing fun, putting on some _Kidz Bop,_ their rendition of Bruno Mars _That's What I Like._ It was an interesting choice of music, to say the least, but the big guy seemed really happy as he zoomed down the freeway, singing along with the song.

And that was all that mattered.

"So you ready for the competition?" Percy asked as he glanced over at me. Percy was wearing his dark purple Jupiter High School t-shirt and some camouflage khaki shorts, which looked great. He was also wearing a Yankees cap, backward, jet black wet hair swaying freely to the side underneath, green eyes calm and light. That iconic Percy smirk present on his face as he stared at me.

Percy looked really good...

 _Reyna. What are you doing? Percy is a friend of yours_..

"Um yeah, I'm .. I'm super excited." I quickly stated, returning Percy's smile. "This is Jupiter High's second time in three years going to the semi-finals. If we win, it will be the first time in school history we go to the finals."

"Oh yes!" Nico exclaimed from the front, pumping his fists in excitement. "And we got the PERFECT volleyball team this year with Reyna leading the charge against the _Empousas_! Though we lost to them in the semis last year, we won in our match against them this year in the regular season, Reyna killing it with 10 freaking kills! We got this W in the BAG!"

"Yes! Reyna will do good in volleyball! Also, Ella going to be commentating for game **.** Tyson going to help her! Tyson really excited!" Tyson added.

"Man, if you think Reyna was good when we were playing against each other Percy, you gotta see her in an actual game. She goes full on beast mode. Like literal, Roman-warrior beast mode." Will mentioned.

I smiled at my friends. "Guys, you're being too nice. I just play my hardest and best. I do it all for the team and the competition is all in good fun. Of course, er, it doesn't hurt to win as well in the end. And I REALLY want to win today..."

Percy shot me a smirk. "Mmm of course," he casually stated. I glanced at Percy, giving a side eye.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

" _The competition is all in good fun_. I know you, Reyna. When do you NOT want to beat someone at something?" Percy said, mimicking my voice. I gave Percy a hard nudge on the shoulder. I've found myself doing that more and more the past weeks.

"Hey! Don't imitate my voice. You know I hate that. And OK to be fair, I did kick your butt in _MLB the Show_ with my favorite team, the Marlins, against your Stankees last Friday I was hanging out at your place. And that's considering the Marlins are one of the worst teams in the game. So alright I'll concede your point. I AM super competitive."

"Oh gods when are you going to stop teasing me about that?" Percy whined as I laughed. Eventually, we arrived at the parking lot of our school, Nico, Tyson, and Will heading in first, I staying behind with Percy.

"Alright, let's head in now Reyna. The Fates know I can't wait for this volleyball match to start for you to stop teasing me," he muttered as I grinned. We were about to head to the gym, I in a pretty great mood. All of a sudden, the both of us heard a loud buzz coming from Percy's right pocket. Percy took out his phone. A big smile appeared on his face as he looked at his notification.

"What is it?" I asked, noticing.

Percy turned to me. "Huh? Oh, um, it's nothing Reyna. Just a little reminder I have for a thing I'm doing after your game."

I had a quizzical look. "Really. A reminder? Um, no offense Percy but you're not exactly the type of person to do that…"

"Oh haha real funny girl," Percy said as I chuckled. "No, I'm just planning on Iris Messaging my friend in New York after your game. Annabeth. I'm going to talk to her about the contest she's going to. I, um, I think I mentioned about it before..."

"Oh," I replied, my smile fading a bit, the pretty blonde mystery girl I saw before popping into my head. "Uh, yeah, we.. we talked about it in lunch on Tuesday," I replied. Some awkwardness followed for a bit.

I started to remember how visibly angry, upset and offended Percy got when I told him how tough the competition would be for his friend Annabeth. I didn't mean it in a bad way. It was true. The contest was tough, only the very best coming out on top.

But the way Percy reacted surprised me. Percy was usually, laid back, easy going, sarcastic. Percy was not the type to get angry at his friends, always shrugging off little things that annoyed him (like Nico). The way he responded to my little advice, it was as if Percy was the one competing in the contest and not Annabeth, offended that I was seemingly doubting her abilities, even though I wasn't.

 _Percy cares a lot for this Annabeth girl..._

Percy broke this momentary silence. "Uh, yeah. Anyways, I made some plans with Annabeth to call her again before she leaves. She kept teasing me though that I'd forget to call, which is TOTALLY not true I should point out! So, that's why I have this reminder on my phone to Iris-message her. Sort of a way to make Annabeth stop bugging me in a sense…"

I smiled a little. "That's awfully sweet and nice of you to do that," I commented.

"Well, I'm just being a good friend to Annabeth Reyna," Percy shrugged. "We're .. we're best friends. Annabeth's dream has always been to become an architect so this competition means so much to her. It .. it means a lot to me. And I KNOW she can win at all. Even as annoying as I consider Annabeth to be, she has a lot of talent, skill, wits. She's really warm, sweet, caring, humorous… that .. that girl is just really something..." Percy murmured, stopping himself mid-sentence. I continued to look on at Percy who seemed to, once again, be lost in thought at Annabeth.

I found myself getting weirdly .. jealous. Jealous at the amount of attention and thought Percy seemed to be putting for this particular girl. At how positive and high of a manner Percy thought of Annabeth...

 _Reyna why are you worrying so much about that Annabeth girl. It's none of your business. She's just a friend of Percy who happens to have something important going on in her life. You don't even know her!_

But it's a friend who happens to be another girl...

 _Reyna…_

"Uh let's .. let's go inside now Percy! My volleyball game is starting soon." I suddenly said, voice a little more raised.

"Yeah, we should head in," Percy responded, clearing his throat. The two of us then walked to the entrance of the gym, my mind still wandering a bit on that mysterious Annabeth girl. Approaching, we caught hold of a particular person standing outside, arms crossed.

I let out a little grumble.

It was Clarisse La Rue.

Clarisse was wearing a white Nike sweatshirt, which was tattered and had the sleeves cut off, black shorts, and a bright red bandana around her head. Her long light brown hair was tucked underneath a volleyball cap. Clarisse was also wearing eye black, like me. However, she had overdone it, making her bullish, beady eyes look even more frightening and war-like if that was even possible. There was a visible sneer and annoyed look on Clarisse's face as I approached her.

"Reyna! You're late!" Clarisse barked, face still in disgust.

"Hey, Clarisse. I'm really sorry for being late." I stated, using as soft a voice as possible, trying to be diplomatic and calm. Unfortunately, calm wasn't necessarily a big striking quality of Clarisse.

"Ugh! I said you should be here by 7 sharp. It's now 7:05! What the hell?"

"I truly am sorry Clarisse. I am. I was hanging out with some friends of mine beforehand. And I guess I lost track of my time."

" _Friends of yours.."_ Clarisse mumbled, saying it in a clearly unpleased manner.

"Hey! Come on Clarisse. What the heck? Chill out." Percy interjected, interposing himself in front of Clarisse. "And like what the hell are you going to do with those 5 extra minutes? Teach a course on how to be a total freaking jerk?" Clarisse glared at Percy at his wise-a** comment, which Percy gladly returned.

Yeah, if you couldn't tell, Clarisse and Percy were not the best of friends. Let's put it at that.

After some more hard staring between the two, neither budging, Clarisse finally lets out a big huff. "Mmm fine. Whatever. But that still does NOT excuse the fact you missed the practices I scheduled this week for the team."

"Again I'm sorry but I really wanted to practice with my friends. They're fun to be around. And I did the usual drills like we always do in practice, shuffle steps, toss and catch, so I didn't miss anything."

"Oh you mean have fun with your surfer _boyfriend_ here? Ok, I TOTALLY understand then..." Clarisse muttered.

I immediately got red in the face. "No! What.. what are you talking about? Percy's not my… we're not.. I don't lo.. I just wanted to play volleyball with my friends Clarisse, alright?" I exclaimed, face still in a blush. I felt myself getting weirdly tongue-tied, a little nervous. I started twirling my hair a bit, eyes not meeting Percy.

 _Stop acting like this Reyna. You're freaking Reyna..._

Clarisse shook her head. "Whatever you say. Look, I'm going to find my boyfriend Chris now. I need to clear my freaking head before the match. You should head inside soon too. I mean it though when I say I expect you to play great tonight! I was okay with a semi-finals finish last year. Well, SEMI-okay. But this is OUR night. Our year. We're counting on you. I'M counting on you Reyna. Don't fail me." as Clarisse headed in, leaving me to be with Percy. I was still a little red in the face as I glanced over at him, my gaze not entirely level with his.

"I'm so sorry for that Percy.." I managed to say.

"No. It's okay Reyna," Percy answered, giving a little smile. "We both know very well how .. not good Clarisse can act at times."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, Clarisse's .. unpleasantries are more magnified when she's in a competition, especially big ones like tonight. If you think I'm super competitive, Clarisse is that times a million."

"I know. She _literally_ beat my a** when playing basketball so I've been at the receiving end of Clarisse's competitive antics," Percy muttered. He then shook his head. "Gods .. _surfer boyfriend._ What the hell does that even mean? Man, I thought Clarisse wasn't into the gossip and instigating stuff but apparently, she is. That was the one redeemable quality I sorta liked about her."

"Y..yeah," I stuttered. "I mean, you and me dating? Just .. ugh. What a .. what a weird thought! Like, no offense Percy, but I'm NEVER going to be interested in you.." I joked, giving him a hard shoulder nudge.

"Ouch! Ok ok. Thanks for clarifying your stance with me. I feel the same way too," Percy moaned as I chuckled a bit. However, the nudge and tone of voice felt strangely .. reserved, my laugh not genuine. I still felt that weird sense of uneasiness. I felt .. down as Percy said that he wasn't interested in me.

 _Boyfriend..._

 _Boyfriend. Smh. I .. I don't like Percy! Well, I DO like Percy, as a friend. He's really nice, caring, sweet. But I don't, you know, LIKE him like him. And I'm NOT interested in him dating-wise. And clearly, he's not interested in me. Well, I don't actually know that for sure but even if he is, which he's NOT, I'm not gonna, you know..._

Reyna. Focus. Game.

"Uh, totally Percy. Totally!" I stated, trying to swallow down these stupid foreign emotions. "Anyways, I should go see my team now. You should probably take a seat as well. The entrance to the bleachers is through the back."

"Alright. Good luck out there Reyna! And please, don't let all that pressure nonsense sh*t Clarisse is putting on you get to your head. Like you said, this is all in good fun. And you're gonna do great. I know for sure."

I gave a big appreciative smile. "Thanks, Percy. That means a lot. I'll see you after the match!" I stated as Percy reached his hand out for a high five, which I gladly returned. Percy entered through the back of the gym, making his way towards Nico and Will. I found myself continuing to stare at Percy for a bit, smile persisting. I started to feel .. warm on the inside. Happy.

 _Gods why the hell am I feeling all these things..._

Shaking them off, I finally entered the gymnasium. I took a moment to take in my surroundings. The school had done quite a nice job with the preparations for the match, purple, Jupiter High's signature color mantra, adorn along the gymnasium walls, ceiling. Our mascot, the fighting wolf, was pumping and hyping the crowd up, doing some cartwheels, backflips. The bleachers were packed as well, the students wearing mostly purple, all of them in a raucous mood. I saw Nico and Will in the front near our sideline bench, fooling around with one another, Nico attempting to play a quick game of Mythomagic, to Will's bemoaning. I then caught a glimpse in the front of Tyson with his friend Ella, Tyson looking really happy, a little fidgety, as Ella was walking through with Tyson the motions of how to commentate for the game. Tyson was half-listening though. He was more focused on Ella's shiny red hair, fascinated with it. The _Empousa High_ team had already taken the court, doing some warm-up drills, practicing their assists and kills.

I also caught Coach Hedge talking with our volleyball coach, Coach Mellie, near the scorekeeping table. From the looks of it, Mellie had said something to Coach Hedge that made him laugh. A lot.

And if you know Coach Hedge, he NEVER laughs.

All in all, it looked like a volleyball match was about to go down soon.

I approached the middle of the court, my team already on, doing some last-minute warm-ups and drills. Clarisse still had a rather annoyed look on her face as she was doing a set drill. Her boyfriend Chris Rodriguez was beside her, trying to calm Clarisse down.

Was it working? Hopefully so. _I give mad props to Chris for being able to, in the slightest, get to Clarisse._

"Alright girls!" Coach Mellie exclaimed as she gathered our team around for a little pre-game meeting. "Hope you all are ready for the semis! Sorry, I'm calling this meeting a little late. I was caught up with talking with my good friend Coach Hedge over there. Apparently, he's keeping score and part officiating for today's game. Isn't that neat? So I'll probably be talking to him some more throughout the night, which, um, isn't bad. He's .. he's a very pleasant person to speak with..."

The girls started to fake some smooching sounds. Another girl shouted _boyfriend!_

"Girls!" Coach Mellie moaned as we collectively laughed. "Anyways, let's go over our gameplan! Reyna, aka our MVP with 10 kills last game. What we got?"

I smiled. "Well Coach, from analyzing our last match with _Empousa_ this year and last semi-final, I've noticed their tendency to be a very offensive, spike heavy team that will set up multiple ways and lines for attacking opportunities. They're going to come out at us hard and aggressive, pummeling us with spikes, tips. So what I think we should do early on is to weather that initial _Empousa_ storm and play solid defense. We'll obviously take some offensive opportunities here and there if we see them. But don't let ourselves get exposed to simple tips, cuts, being open in the middle. Keep to your position! We're going to wear them out then come right at them! If there's one weakness the _Empousas_ have, they don't exactly prioritize defense."

"That sounds like a smart plan. The last time we faced the _Empousas_ we were pummeled quite heavily during the first set. So wearing them out and attacking them in later stages is a good strategy. Any objections girls?" There was some nodding of heads among my teammates.

"Ok WHOA. Hold on!" Clarisse suddenly said.

"What's up Clarisse?" Coach Mellie asked.

"Why the hell are we letting those guys dictate the tempo of the game? This is _Empousa High_ we're talking about! We gotta come out hard and aggressive at them. Why sit back and play wimpy defense when we can come straight at those suckers! I'm NOT going to let them smack talk the crap out of us like they did last year semi-finals.."

"Clarisse, with all due respect, Empousa is a great offensive team. We must realize and concede that. I think they're top 5 in our league with kills."

"We have a good offense too! Beat those suckers at their own game! Let them eat their own dumb words.."

"Yes, we do have a great offense. But, we got through the first two rounds of the playoffs on sound, strong defense this year. To deviate from something that has been proven to work hurts us."

"Well, tonight we change that! We come out and whoop them! They're playing in our house now so they play by OUR rules."

"Clarisse, don't let the _Empousas_ get into your head. Don't let them influence your decision making. We have to play the game our way. Where we're most comfortable and successful..."

"Ugh, I DON'T like this plan at all. We're gonna be their freaking laughing stocks again.. " Clarisse groaned. Coach Mellie then got in between the two of us.

"Reyna. Clarisse. You both have interesting plans. And I do like both of them and it would be fine to go either way. But, Reyna is right. We have to play the game our way. And our way is through strong defense and finding attacking opportunities in the middle. And that's been working the past games. Like you always say Clarisse, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?"

"Coach..." Clarisse moaned.

"Look Clarisse." Coach Mellie softly said as she came close to her, putting a hand on Clarisse. "I know you want to win REALLY badly. I've had a sister of yours play on my volleyball team before. Children of Ares seem to always have that unrelenting, competitive drive. Especially when it's .. provoked. But I have confidence in Reyna, her abilities, plan of action. We've seen her time and time again come through for us. She knows what she's doing. Have trust in her like I and your teammates have!" Coach Mellie stated as my teammates nodded, giving me some hard pats on the back.

"Yeah, don't .. don't worry Clarisse. I know what I'm doing." I responded, giving a little smile of reassurance to all of them. However, I felt a bit overwhelmed by Coach Mellie and my teammate's high praise of me.

 _Reyna knows what she's doing..._

 _Do I know what I'm doing? What if I don't know what I'm doing and am just pretending to know what I'm doing. What if I let them all down..._

Some fear and worry couldn't help but seep into me as I again looked around at my teammates, coach, the entirety of the school, all looking at me in an expectant manner. I suddenly started feeling the weight and gravity of the situation. Even as I was surrounded by those who supported me, a sense of aloneness started to take hold. Aloneness in having to trudge and bear through this challenge all by myself, of having to deal with this responsibility single-handedly.

 _And I hated feeling alone ..._

Clarisse looked like she wanted to continue arguing. However, she finally relented. "Fine." Clarisse simply uttered. "Lead us to the promise land oh _Miss Reyna_ ," she said, in a clearly taunting manner, as Clarisse headed on the court to the front line. I quickly tried to regain control of myself, taking in a deep breath, putting back on my Reyna calm mask as I lead the girls out on the court, to the cheers of the whole school.

"Hello everyone! Your friends Ella and Tyson here!" Ella exclaimed into the mic as our team assumed their positions on the court. "This is the 2018 rematch between _Empousa High_ versus our _Jupiter High Romans_! This will be a great semi-final! Final. Julius Caesar met his final fate by the hand of a dagger."

"Yes. Tyson here with good friend Ella!" Tyson happily said. "Tyson excited for the game! Also, um, Tyson thinks Ella smells really good today. Like a bunch of cookies.."

Ella smiled widely, blushing a bit. "Thanks, Tyson. That's really sweet of you to say. Sweet. Sweet on America rated top candy store in the U.S. Tyson, uh, sweet like candy..."

"Uh, anyway, the first serve of the game belongs to _Empousa High_. Both sides shake hands!"

I went towards the net about to greet the other side. A pretty blonde girl and a brown-haired girl approached me. As they noticed me, big snickers erupted on their faces.

 _Tammi and Kelli..._

Tammi and Kelli were THE stars of the Empousa volleyball team. Quite skilled and crafty, the girls were also star cheerleaders at their school, a fact which they flaunted openly, especially around guys.

Admittedly, Tammi and Kelli were quite pretty, Kelli having long, silky brown hair, Tammi dirty blonde hair, both with sharp, deep red eyes that would've made any normal mortal guy melt with a mere stare. However, their exterior beauty couldn't hide the rather .. nasty attitude the two girls possessed, mean, conceited. I wouldn't have been surprised if their external beauty was a farce and a mere trick of the mist.

And to say the three of us were rivals was an understatement. Those girls absolutely hated my guts, being that I was pretty much one of few girls in our division who could stand toe to toe with them in volleyball. And it would be fair to say I shared that, er, mutual feeling of dislike.

Unfortunately, Tammi and Kelli had my number the past two years, with their back to back semi-final victories. It was a feat they would consistently rub in my face.

And I was REALLY bent on changing that tonight.

"Lookie here. The shining starlet of Jupiter High School, _Reyna Ramírez-Arrellano_." Tammi teased, using the full version of my name, which I HATED, as Kelli laughed.

"Oh, this is SO great. I can't wait to see you absolutely STINK today Rey!" Kelli added, snarling, continuing the smack talk and mind games.

"Mmm. We meet again Kelli and Tammi. And I wish you both the same good luck as well... " I replied, trying to maintain my calm and focus.

"Hmph. Admittedly, you kicked our a** in our home court before. And that sucked. But, that makes it ALL the better when WE embarrass you in front of your own folks. We've been champs in this region for the past 3 years girl. And we ain't looking to relinquish that anytime." Kelli declared, a nefarious smirk forming on her face.

"Well, there's always a time for everything, right?"

Tammi laughed. "Haha. Attitude. Of course! You know, I heard my boyfriend say a LOT about you, Rey. You're living up to your reputation quite well if I do say so." Tammi sneered as she took a glance to the side. I looked towards the direction Tammi was gazing, to the front bleachers.

My eyes widened.

It was Matt Sloan.

 _No freaking way..._

"No way. You're .. you're dating him?" I asked, tone more so _you're dating .. HIM?_

"Yes! I met my little Mattie-boy here during our last game. He's SOOOO freaking sweet. We're planning on eating out tonight at this fancy restaurant if I win, which I WILL, all on him. It's going to be SOO great." Tammi giddily yelped.

Kelli smiled. "Ugh. You are SO lucky, girl. Matt is so cute, like a little boy toy. It also doesn't help that Matt is rather .. bovine so us as girls can DEFINITELY control him, which is always a plus." as both girls laughed. The two then waved at Matt, who responded by blowing both of them kisses. I could also see Matt giving me a discreet, tantalizing wink, almost as if to say _hey Reyna. You don't know what you're missing without me!_

 _Well, you don't know what the heck you're getting into with these girls..._

"Well, good .. good for you Tammi. I'm glad you have .. something in your life."

Tammi shook her head. "Smh. You know, Matt is right. You ARE a stubborn girl Reyna. Matt once told me before he was interested in you but I guess he made the right choice of girl then." she exclaimed, as Kelli and the other _Empousa_ girls bitterly laughed, to my expense.

I tightly clenched my fists. "You know what? Game on you two!" I barked, more anger in my tone, as I stormed away to the back serving line. I let out a sigh.

 _It feels like everyone around is against me..._

"Alright girls! The game is about to start! Get to your positions!" Coach Hedge barked as he walked to the middle of the court. "You all know the rules. Don't hit the net, don't have your foot on the serving line when serving. Play clean. Blah blah blah."

"Anyways, It's the Empousa's serve as Ella said! Best out of three sets! And I mean it when I say play clean! Don't make me use this whistle and go out here again! By the end of the night, I should be in the same spot, near the lovely Coach Mellie over there!" Coach Hedge declared, blowing his whistle, making my ears nearly bleed. Coach Hedge proceeded to go back towards the sideline near Mellie to talk to her again, which she seemed eager to.

 _Least Coach Hedge will be too busy flirting so he won't mess this game up..._

It was Tammi who would be taking the first serve. Starting from the center back of the serving line, Tammi dribbled the ball for a bit. That same, trying smirk on her face was still there as Tammi continued to dribble, twisting the ball in her hand, taking her sweet sweet time, glancing at her nearby teammates as if to say _I'm bored. Do we really have to play against these losers?_

 _Just f*cking serve already..._

Taking a deep breath, Tammi ran towards the serving line, throwing the ball high in the air. A loud, devilish scream escaped her mouth as Tammi put all her effort into the shot, eyes turning a fiery red.

It was a scorching jump serve.

"F*ck!" Clarisse cried out as she attempted to dig the ball, bending her knees on the ground, trying to set up a pass for one of our teammates. However, the ball was hit so hard it ricocheted off her forearms, bouncing away at an awkward angle.

"Tammi with a big jump serve. 1 point for the _Empousas_ ," Ella stated as the crowd groaned. Kelli and Tammi high fived each other, shooting me a little smirk. From the Jupiter High side of the bleachers, I could see Matt the only person standing up along with his friends, clapping and cheering widely.

 _Isn't Matt supposed to be on OUR side?_

"F*cking Tammi with the stupid scorcher," Clarisse mumbled.

"Hey, it was a good shot, Clarisse. Credit where credit is due." I replied, trying to lighten her mood up, as I helped her up from the floor. "Still extremely early. Don't get discouraged."

"Well, this is part of your grand strategy, right?" Clarisse mumbled. "Ugh you better figure something out or we're going to be _Empousa_ toast," Clarisse stated as she went back towards the front.

"Ok girls. Play a little more back, alright?" I exclaimed, trying to gain control of the situation. "Tammi looks like she's coming in hot with that jump serve. Get ready for it! Support each other if we mess up." as Tammi went back to the serving line.

After some more aggravating stalling by Tammi, Coach Hedge having to blow his ear screeching whistle to tell her to hurry up, Tammi again unloaded a blazing jump serve, this time to the middle part of the court, where I was positioned. Similar to Clarisse, one of my teammates were able to get a hand under the ball. However, the ball had too much on it, rolling off my teammate's fingers, falling towards the ground.

It was going to be another point for the _Empousas._

I quickly departed from my position to the front, tracking the ball, my eyes dead focused, blocking out my surrounding background. I dived forward, putting my left hand out, just as the ball was about to drop.

A dive save.

"Wow! Reyna with great save!" Tyson exclaimed as my teammate quickly set the ball back over the net, keeping the rally going. Eventually, we were able to set up an offensive opportunity for Clarisse, who spiked the ball to the far right side of the court, out of the reach of a diving Kelli, who had taken a rather .. bad tumble on the floor.

A solid point for us.

I took a glance over at the sideline. The Jupiter High crowd had erupted in cheers, Nico and Will jumping up and down in hysteria. I also took note of Sloan, whose expression became noticeably mute, sitting stone-faced. Percy, in particular, had a big smile on his face, mouthing the words.

 _Damn Reyna. Very impressive._

I couldn't help but smile back and give a nonchalant shrug.

 _Hey. I said I'm a competitive girl Percy._

The game continued on like this for the next few minutes, each side trading blows. We were putting up a pretty good fight, playing hard, gritty defense. However, as predicted, they were coming out at us in hard, full force, Kelli and Tammi especially pummeling us relentlessly with shots trying to will us to submission.

We, unfortunately, lost the first set 25-22.

"Girls. I have to say that was a good first set! I love how we continued to fight and claw throughout!" Coach Mellie stated as our team gathered on the sideline during the intermission break. "Unfortunately, we couldn't eek out a set win. But hey, we have two more sets! Don't give up. Continue to do what we do and we'll eventually come out on top!"

"Ugh but time is running out Coach!" Clarisse moaned, who looked frustrated by how the game was playing out. "We need to stop playing wimpy defense and come at them! Get some more set and spike opportunities!"

"Hey, not yet Clarisse. Not yet. Let those guys wear themselves out and then come after them like Reyna stated..."

Clarisse groaned. "Fine. We'll continue with Miss Reyna's brilliant strategy that seems to be working well judging by losing our first set." Clarisse muttered as she went away, Coach Mellie quickly going after Clarisse to try to talk some sense into her.

I let out a sigh.

 _People just can't appreciate what I try to do for them ..._

After a while, Percy decided to come over to my bench in the middle. He had a Poland Spring water bottle in hand, towel slung over his shoulders.

"Not a bad first set if I do say so myself." Percy started as he threw me a towel and offered the water bottle.

I smiled as I took a sip, wiping the sweat from my face. "Thanks. I think I could've done a bit better though."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Could've done better. You could've made even more kills and saves while at the same time holding the weight of the sky. That would've been REAL impressive.."

"Shut up," I stated as Percy let out a chuckle. However, my mind went back to what Clarisse told me. That feeling of worriedness from before started to creep in.

"Hey, don't listen to that crap from Clarisse," Percy declared, reading my mind.

"I .. I know Percy. Clarisse has always been like this throughout competitions like I said. However, it seems like tonight she is even more .. unbearable."

"You don't say. I did catch hold of her dad, Ares, sitting beside me. That dude is so freaking loud and obnoxious. I had such a terrible itch to punch something when I was near him. So I'm guessing Clarisse is having some pressure to win from her dad."

I softly nodded. "Yeah. Pressure..." I simply said. I glanced up towards the _Empousa_ sideline, where Tammi and Kelli were currently hovering around Matt, who was trying to show off his volleyball skills, though he was making a pretty big fool of himself to the girls' amusement. I started to take note of the crowd vibe, still optimistic, yet slowly growing more restless as we approached the second, must win-set.

As if they were saying to me _Come on Reyna. We need you to wake up! Do what you have to do._

"Gods, I hate feeling so .. responsible for things." I suddenly said out loud, being honest with Percy. "I .. I hate feeling that! Everyone here is counting on me to win today. And I .. I don't want to fail. I don't want to let everyone down. I.."

 _I feel so alone now..._

"Don't feel that way though Rey! As I said, you shouldn't put that much pressure on yourself to win." Percy quickly said as he scooted over next to me on the bench. "You'll do fine Reyna. Trust me. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll do alright. Plus, you got Nico and Will here. And let me say I think they should both try out for cheerleading given how worked up they were over the first set. And of course, I'll be here as well, on the sideline. I ain't going nowhere."

As I stared into Percy's soft green eyes, his hand on my shoulders, smile still present, again, I started to instantly feel warm on the inside. That momentary lapse of worriedness and fear I felt dissipated for the time being. Replaced with one reassuring thought.

 _Percy's there for me. He's going there for me._

For once in a long time, I didn't feel so alone and by myself in a face of a challenge.

 _Also, gods, can I say Percy also looks REALLY cute tonight..._

Uh, er, man competitions can really mess up your thoughts, huh?

"T .. thanks, Percy. I'll see you by the end of the third set." I said, giving him a wide smile, as Percy departed back towards the bleachers. I still found myself smiling, maybe more than I should've, as I headed back to the court, some pep in my step, feeling a renewed sense of vigor and confidence, confidence that didn't feel contrived and fake like with old Reyna.

"Mmm. I'm glad your surfer boyfriend there was able to lift your spirits up," Clarisse mumbled as I neared her.

My complexion reddened. I quickly dropped my smile.

"Clarisse! No. That .. it.. I told you we're not dating! Why can't you get it through your head!"

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Whatever Rey. Just help us win the game and I'll stop being all over you," she stated, giving me a hard punch on the shoulder, as she went to the back.

 _Ugh. I need to stop acting like I'm really happy around Percy. Even though I kinda am.._

The start of the second set serve was on Kelli. Similar to Tammi, Kelli was taking a rather long time, dribbling the ball around, to the point that even some of her _Empousa_ teammates were growing frustrated by her pace of play.

"Serve the damn ball already!" someone from the crowd cried out.

On cue, Kelli calmly went up to the serving line and unleashed her serve.

It was a soft, float serve, not a scorching one like Tammi. However, Kelli had good accuracy and placement to her shot, the serve ending up in the back right, away from the easy reach of Clarisse, who was unsuccessful in her dive attempt save.

It was a point for them.

"Point for _Empousa,_ " Ella declared, voice low, as Kelli pumped her fists in excitement. Clarisse grumbled out loud, slamming her hand on the ground. Around me, my teammates and crowd were also growing impatient, taking note of the score on the board.

 _Come on, we just need a spark to get our team going. A little boost._

Kelli went back to the serving line. This time, Kelli placed her shot to the left side of our court.

My teammate, Jessica, was just able to get a quick hand on the ball as it was about to fall towards the ground. Laura, my other teammate, quickly helped to support the pass as she set the ball up high in the air. The set was not perfect. However, it was just enough to put the ball high up in front of the net.

 _Right in front_ of _me_.

I wasted no time as I charged up toward the net, bending my legs, about to jump. My natural, battle-like instincts took over as I readied my hands, cupping my hands as I jumped, unleashing my signature move.

 _The-spike-the-ball-as-hard-as-f*cking-possible_ special.

A Reyna classic.

"Reyna with big hit! _Jupiter high_ point _!_ " Tyson exclaimed as two Empousa girls dived for the ball, but to no avail. I let out a big scream of excitement, throwing my hands up, sort of like _you like that? YOU LIKE THAT?_

 _Sorry. Competitive me taking over again..._

"Yes! Ooo yes. Great play Rey." Clarisse declared, patting me on the back, as my teammates low fived me. On the other side, Kelli and Tammi started to berate the girls for missing my shot, all to their disappointment.

"Nice shot. Not textbook form but good enough. Your serve now." Coach Hedge commented as he threw me the ball. Unlike with Tammi and Kelli, I didn't waste any time with my serve. No trickery. I calmly walked up to the line, threw the ball up, and unleashed my shot.

Kelli immediately got into position to dig the ball, bending her knees, putting her forearms together. However, the ball had a lot of mustard in it. Kelli had a wide look on her face as the ball ricocheted off her forearms, all the way back.

To her face.

"Ahh what the f*ck!" she exclaimed as the ball bounced off, on the ground.

"Reyna with a blistering ace. Another fine play!" Ella exclaimed as the crowd cheered again. From my side, I couldn't help but let out a little laugh as I saw Kelli got up, the overdone make-up on her face now ruined.

 _Not my fault you look like a Victoria's Secret Model during a volleyball semi-final game.._

"Kelli! How the hell do you miss that shot?" Tammi exclaimed as she got close to Kelli.

"Miss that shot! Ok Tammi, Let's talk about the more pressing issue here! My face! I hit myself in the face! Ugh, my freaking makeup is ruined. And that was a new kit I just bought at _Lord and Taylor's_ as well..."

"Ugh. Who cares? That's TWO missed shot in the course of the game. Why did we have you play there in the first place?"

Kelli had an offended look to her face. "Well, why don't YOU try playing here huh? If you think it's that f*cking easy Tammi." she groaned as the two started to bicker. The _Empousas_ continued to argue amongst one another during the second set. We were able to capitalize on their disorganization, continuing our strategy, playing hard defense, going for well-timed offensive opportunities when the chance opened. Kelli and Tammi grew more and more frustrated as they continually saw their spike shots blocked, Clarisse and Laura clogging up the front, I, Jessica, and my other teammates manning the back.

We won the second set 25-15.

"A very handy and convincing second set victory for our _Jupiter High Romans!_ " Ella exclaimed. "Very good play all around! Especially Reyna, who had 5 kills and 4 assists."

"Yes! Match comes down to final set. Tyson so excited!"

On the sideline, all my teammates were in a hyped, excited buzz, Clarisse especially.

 _Just a few more minutes till we finally get to the finals! Just a little longer!_

I looked up into the crowd, the atmosphere as festive as the _Ides of March._ Some of the crowd had decided to randomly start chanting my name, I presume the work of Nico and Will.

 _Percy is right. Those two should be cheerleaders._

I caught a little glimpse of Matt on the sideline, with Kelli and Tammi, who were still bickering, Matt the awkward dude in the middle. I finally saw Percy, expression ecstatic, that smile of his cemented proudly on his face, which I loved to see.

At that moment, I never felt so .. accepted. Belonging. I didn't feel out of place or weird. I had a sense of who I was as a person. I felt comfortable being actual Reyna, the one that people seemed to enjoy and liked a lot tonight.

 _I never felt so much care and love from everyone. Care I haven't felt in .. forever. Not since I was last with Hylla..._

I didn't want this to end. I DIDN'T want to disappoint...

"Alright girls, let's finish these stupid _Empousas_ ," I said out loud, clapping my hands.

Opening the third set, I decided to continue our defensive-first strategy as it worked well the last set.

 _And absolutely kicked their a**es..._

However, the _Empousas_ seemed to be catching on, for once, to our strategy. They had made some adjustments in the third set. Rather than trying to power through us, the _Empousas_ were employing more soft tips, cut shots, using skill, finesse, and deception, hugging the front of the net all the while focusing more on defense. They waited for us to attack and stuffed us whenever we went for an attack opportunity.

And their strategy was working as the game went down to the wire.

"Wow. The score is now 26-25, _Empousas._ One more point and the Empousas are going to be our three-peat champions of the county. _Jupiter High_ scores and we play on!" Ella said.

"Come on Reyna! Let's go!" Tyson encouraged. "Tyson plan to go eat pizza with friends so Tyson want victory! Does, um, does Ella want to eat with me?" Tyson shyly asked, pensively looking over at her.

"Oh. Oh that's .. that's really sweet of you Tyson!" Ella replied, also a little shy. "Ella .. Ella would like that! Ella ..Ella very happy Tyson offered Ella to eat with her. Happy. _Pharell Williams - Happy_ song was the most successful song in 2014, selling 13.9 million units worldwide." Ella stuttered as Tyson had an impish grin on his face.

"Reyna. This next serve is all you." Coach Mellie stated, smiling, as she passed me the ball. I went up to the serving line, the crowd on their feet. Though there was some nervousness in the air, there was also a sense of calmness, confidence, as I prepped my serve.

 _Reyna is up. Don't worry! She's got this in the bag!_

I took in a deep breath before my serve, trying to shut out the surrounding noise and pressure. I decided on a simple little float serve to the _Empousas,_ nothing fancy, trying to not do too much as I prepped my teammates for defense.

"Alright, everyone! Get up toward the net. Keep on your toes! This is the game point so we better be on high alert!" I exclaimed. Kelli had received my serve. She bumped the ball high in the air. Tammi then received the pass, setting the ball to the right side of their net, all the while Kelli was bending her knees, prepping her hands, about to jump and unleash a spike.

"Girls! Quick. Go to your left! Block!" I cried out.

Kelli unloaded her shot.

Clarisse was right on it though. She quickly put her hands up, blocking the shot. It was a simple defensive play we would repeatedly work on in practice, Clarisse being in the front to block the spike given her large stature, the girls in the back looking for a deflection, I on the far right side looking for a potential attacking opportunity. And I decided to use this set-up for this play.

Clarisse had always hated practicing it though, saying it was a complete waste of time and boring.

 _Well, now she knows why I keep honing it in her head. Fundamentals girl!_

The ball deflected lazily into the air, safely into our possession.

"Great block save by Clarisse! The ball is now in _Jupiter High's_ possession. They have a chance to score and tie the game!" Ella exclaimed as the Jupiter High crowd cheered

In the midst of this action, I noticed something as my teammates were about to pass the ball. The _Empousas,_ who were playing pretty sound defense for a majority of the third set, was so concerned with trying to score on this play that they stacked most of their players to the right side of the court, trying to generate a better offensive opportunity.

Even more, their best defensive players, Kelli and Tammi, were playing too far to the right, trying to be in the middle and forefront of the attack. That was always one of the main weaknesses of Kelli and Tammi, their vanity. They wanted to be in the spotlight of everything. Especially winning.

This meant their left side was virtually undefended.

 _And wide open._

I immediately called out to one of my teammates. "Victoria! Hey! Pass me the ball!" Victoria noticed the same thing as I did. She couldn't help but break out into a smile. "Reyna! Ball!" she exclaimed as she made a beautiful, perfect set pass high in front of the net, in front of me. I prepped my knees, preparing to jump, in position to score on a simple tip.

Kelli and Tammi, realizing their mistake, tried to rush back to the left side, desperately trying to recover from their poor defense. But, it was no use. The point was inevitable.

 _It was just up to me..._

However, at the last minute, I noticed that, for some reason, my jump was not as perfect as I wanted it to be. As I placed my fingertips on the ball's surface, I didn't feel that usual, comforting feeling that I got whenever I knew for sure my spike or tip was good. All volleyball players know when you make good contact with the ball during a spike opportunity.

I didn't do that.

I fell down, awkwardly, chest first as the ball fell to the ground. For that split second, the ball seemed to move in agonizing slow motion, teasing me whether it would stay fair or out, continuing to drop.

 _Please stay fair. Please..._

The ball landed just outside the inbound line, out of bounds, continuing to roll, torturing me almost.

It was a point for the Empousas.

They won the game.

 _I blew it..._

"Game over. Empousas win their third straight county title in a row off a missed tip opportunity by Reyna. They will go on to face Georgetown Prep in the finals next week." Ella said, voice mixed with disappointment, as well as shock.

Tyson, as well, who had been covering his eyes with his hands the entire time throughout the whole play, also couldn't believe it.

"Reyna .. Reyna miss shot? She .. she miss shot?"

On the bench, I caught a glimpse of Coach Mellie, eyes wide, as well as Nico, Will, Percy, all of whom were in disbelief of what had occurred. Even Coach Hedge seemed interested in the game for once, not believing what he'd witnessed.

"No. Reyna NEVER misses a tip. Never. Especially one that simple!" Nico cried out.

"Reyna. What the heck? How did you miss THAT simple shot!" Clarisse exclaimed, livid, as she went near me, her large, beady eyes a dangerous, fiery red.

"I .. I just missed it, Clarisse. I ..." I stammered, at a loss for how to respond.

"Missed it? WHAT? I blocked that shot perfectly! Victoria set that ball perfectly! It was all up to you! And you blew it. You freaking blew it! You.."

"Hey, Clarisse, calm down, please!" Coach Mellie interjected as she got in between the two of us. "Look, mistakes happen. They happen. It's true that Reyna never, if EVER, misses those type of shots. But what happened happened. We can't do anything about it. We lost the game. That's it."

"Yeah, babe. Please calm down. Reyna made a simple mistake, that's all." Chris stated as he neared Clarisse, trying to relax her, though her expression was still one of high displeasure. My teammates were silent during the entire time. They eventually did help me up, giving me some assuring pats on the back, trying to comfort. However, the looks on their faces couldn't mask their true feelings, all seemingly in tacit agreement with Clarisse's statement.

 _Reyna blew it. She did blow it._

On the other side, the _Empousas_ erupted into euphoria as they celebrated, high fiving and hugging one another. Tammi and Kelli, especially, were brimming with joy, doing some victory dances along with Matt, that disgusting smirk planted openly on his face. They weren't making any attempts to hide their victory rubbing and bragging, Kelli and Tammi staring at me, grinning mischievously, sort of like _Haha! We won again. We won! Freaking Reyna. She failed, again!_

But they were right. I .. I did fail everyone. I failed in my responsibility.

I continued to slowly take in my surroundings for the next minutes, which felt like hours. The crowd, which had been so hyped and pumped, now all mute with dissatisfaction. Clarisse still angered. Tammi and Kelli continuing their taunts. A terrible, sinking feeling started to unfold within me as I quickly went into my locker room to change, desperately trying to get away from all this, by myself, no one around.

 _Gods, I .. I have no one here to help me. I don't have anyone to look to. To comfort me._

I was alone.

* * *

 **Scared**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

"Really Annabeth? You're not going?" Silena asked, her face in a full, disappointed frown.

I let out what felt like the millionth sigh as my friends hovered around me. This Thursday afternoon, we were out eating lunch at _California Pizza Kitchen_ in Midtown Manhattan after school. It was, as Piper put it, the girls' best attempt to help me get acclimated to California when I go there.

 _Okay, I appreciate the fun gesture Piper but I highly doubt California Pizza Kitchen is really what California style pizza is like. That's like saying Domino's is authentic Italian pizza..._

However, when I revealed to the girls I wasn't going, their moods bleak.

"No. I'm not. I told Mr. Chiron after school I didn't want to go. I just .. I didn't want to go." I tersely responded, taking a half-nibble of my BBQ chicken pizza, though not enjoying it.

"Annabeth. Goodness why not?" Piper said, letting out her own sigh. There was a noticeable shade of grayness in her eyes, Piper clearly upset by my decision.

"I.. I just had a change of heart Pipes..."

"Change of heart? Annabeth, you were SO excited on Tuesday! You practically couldn't stop talking about the contest with me the whole day."

"Y..yeah. But I..I was thinking about it more the past days. And I concluded it's not realistic. I mean, I'm going all the way to California for a whole week to compete in a contest I have next to no chance in winning. I'm .. I'm just wasting my time doing that! My energy."

"Annabeth, you are NOT wasting your time!" Silena firmly declared as she came close to me. "You're doing what you love to do. Draw and sketch architecture! And that's all that matters. Who cares if you don't win? Win or lose, you're doing something you love. And I seriously believe with all my heart you can win."

"I .. I guess. But, I .. I don't think I'm .. I'm good. And.. and hey, on the bright side, I can now compete in that upcoming track contest!" I quickly added, smiling a bit. "So, Rachel, you better watch your back there. I'm coming after you!" I joked, looking over at her, trying to find some sort of affirmation for my decision.

However, Rachel shook her head. "Annabeth, I'm gonna be super honest and say I'm not happy with your decision, at all. Even if you do decide to compete with me on track, I'm not going to be cool with it. You're throwing away such an awesome opportunity..."

"Yeah, Annabeth. I really don't like this," Hazel commented. "Look, as your good friend, I'll support you no matter what your choice, go or not go. All of us will. But, this REALLY sucks..."

I sighed. "Girls..."

"Annabeth, please reconsider." Piper pleaded, putting her arm on me, a soft, understanding look on her face ."Look, I know that I like to tease you with that _Miss Princess_ nickname. Joke around. Annoy you, er, a lot. But I mean it when I say this. Annabeth I HATE seeing you like this. So stubborn! So tangled up with your emotions and yourself. Look, I know you mentioned your family is having some financial issues, which sucks and I feel sorry for. But you said yourself that the school will pay for a majority of your expenses. So if you're worried about that, don't! And I'll be more than happy to ask my dad for some favors in California like with the hotel, transportation."

"Piper, I really appreciate that. A lot. But no. I'm .. I'm still not going." I repeated.

"Come on Annabeth, please. Tell me why? Why don't you want to go? Please, don't be scared." I felt myself tense up as I heard Piper use that word.

 _Scared..._

"Scared? What! What.. what are you talking about Piper? I'm .. I'm not .. that!" I quickly uttered, refuting Piper's assertion.

"Annabeth. Don't kid yourself. You are scared. But it's ok to feel that way! Don't be worried." Piper said, putting some charmspeak on.

"Yeah Annabeth, it's completely normal and that's fine!" Silena added. "Don't try to act like your above all this. I know this all sounds daunting, the contest. But you need to take a chance and that leap of faith. Sometimes you just have to stop worrying and go for it girl. You always say that to me. Now I'm saying it to you..."

"Girls, gods, how many times do I have to repeat myself. I'M NOT SCARED. Come on? Me. Annabeth. Scared?" I repeated, cutting Silena off. I then let out a little laugh, amused by the premise of what my friends were saying.

Annabeth Chase scared? What? Annabeth isn't afraid! She's not afraid of anything!

 _Except when it comes to my feelings and emotions.._ ** _._**

"Look I'm not scared and that's final!" I suddenly exclaimed, voice more raised than before.

"Annabeth repeating it over and over doesn't make it true," Piper stated. "You can say that all you want but it still won't..."

"Look, I just don't want to go to the contest okay, guys? Isn't that a good enough reason for all of you!" I cried out, putting my pizza down. I felt some anger rising, similar when I was talking to dad, though I wasn't actually angered at my friends. "Do I have to give a valid reason? If I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it! I .. I don't want to take that chance! I .. I don't need to reveal why I don't want to!"

"Annabeth.."

I looked up at the time. It was around a quarter to 10. Almost time for my Iris-Message call I had planned with Percy today.

"Look, I need to go now, girls. I planned to Iris-Message call with Percy later tonight. Thank you for all this, taking me out for dinner, giving me advice. I really mean it. But no, I'm not going. And that's final." I declared, getting up from the table, leaving my friends to be, all of whom had disappointed, sad, even sympathetic expressions on their faces as they continued to stare at me as I slowly exited the restaurant.

On the subway back home, I tried to clear my head, earbuds on blasting some _Avicii - Sunset Jesus_ , anticipating my call with Percy later.

However, one simple yet impactful word I hated so much continued to mill through my head.

 _Scared..._

Gods, I really hoped my conversation with Percy would lighten my mood up. I hope Percy would be able to make me feel better like he always would.

 _I really hoped Percy was actually HERE with me..._

* * *

 **Alone**

 **(Percy POV)**

Tonight was not a good night.

Walking out of Jupiter High gym, there was a noticeable depressed mood in the air. The school, which had been in a raucous the entire time even before the game started, visibly down and upset as they made their way out, some still not believing what had happened.

Though I couldn't make out the murmuring among them, there seemed to be one prevalent theme that was in everyone's mind.

 _Reyna blew it. She blew the game._

Tonight, it was expected that we would win. We were SUPPOSED to win. My friends all made plans after the game in anticipation of a win.

However, we didn't win.

Even more, I couldn't help but replay over and over one thing.

 _The last play of the game._

I can still remember how sad and deflated Reyna looked as she laid flat on the ground, after missing a simple spike-tip, her expression so dampened and defeated, as if she had the air sucked out of her, realizing she had lost the game for her team. Her eyes dark and lifeless, that Reyna smile that Reyna began to show off more, which I came to enjoy, absent, replaced with a stoic, somber look.

Being friends with Reyna for a while, I knew how competitive she could be (I mean she did kick my freaking a** in MLB the Show). Reyna always had that unrelenting spirit and drive, similar to Annabeth, which I found both annoying yet a quality that was admirable and enjoyable. She played her hardest, no matter what. And she took losses personally, no matter how big or small, blaming herself for anything that went wrong.

Always feeling that she was responsible for things, even if she wasn't.

Yet, I've never seen her look as down as tonight. I remember looking from a far on the bleachers as Clarisse barked at Reyna after the game, angered, Clarisse's boyfriend Chris and Coach Mellie trying to calm her down. Reyna's teammates were around as well, offering tepid support for Reyna. However, though they were not showing it, it was clear they were all disappointed at her. The entire time, Reyna looked like she desperately wanted to crawl into a corner, hide, feeling that she had failed everyone. Failed in her responsibility.

And Reyna never looked more alone than at that very moment.

 _I hated seeing that..._

I met up with Reyna outside of the girl's locker room. Reyna had just finished washing herself up. She was currently wearing a purple Adidas athletic sweater and some faded blue jeans. Her long, glossy black hair was tied into her usual simple braid, eye-black gone, replaced with the usual no-makeup Reyna look that was signature her.

However, the fresh look did nothing to mask the disappointment and sadness that still lingered, Reyna's complexion as gloomy as the surrounding night, not saying anything as I quickly approached her. Clarisse then got out after Reyna. At the sight of her, Clarisse started to snarl.

"Hey girl who totally bombed the game," she mumbled.

I glared at Clarisse. "Knock it off Clarisse. Come on!" I yelled, angered.

"Well, what am I supposed to say your girlfriend their water boy? Gods dammit, now that I think more of it, we should have taken MY strategy. We should've gone after those suckers in the early going, not get down early. But of course, we HAD to be all like _oh. Let them totally annihilate and stomp all over us for a majority of the game!_ And the last play. Man, how do you miss a tip THAT open? How…"

"Clarisse!" I exclaimed, nearly reaching my tipping point as I neared her, about to confront.

"Hey, Percy. Clarisse. Calm down you two please." Coach Mellie interfered, separating us. "Clarisse, you need to knock it off. Don't attack Reyna like that. She's your teammate. Friend. You're better than that. You can't blame losses on a single person. You win as a team. and lose as a team. And Reyna doesn't deserve this criticism! She's been our MVP this season and will continue to be for the following. We still have your back, Rey! Right girls?" Coach Mellie asked, looking around.

"Yeah Reyna. Definitely." they all replied, smiling, trying to show their support for Reyna. However, there was a subtle but noticeable reservedness to their actions, all of the girls in uniform agreement with Clarisse.

 _Yeah. Reyna did blow it. We hate to say that but she did blow it_.

"Look. We'll get them next year, ok?" Coach Mellie declared, trying for some optimism. "The _Empousas_ will be scared out of their minds the next time we see them! Be proud of what you all accomplished! Don't let this loss affect you. Let's go home now and enjoy yourself for the remainder of the night. I have a very fun dinner planned with Coach Hedge, which I'm excited to go to. And I hope you all have somewhere fun to be afterward! I'll see you all for our final meetings this coming Monday!" Coach Mellie finally stated as she went to a waiting Coach Hedge outside in his Ford Focus, who looked unusually more withdrawn and un-Hedge like, his firm, bossy demeanor softening a bit at the sight of Reyna.

Clarisse then turned to Reyna. After a while, she finally let out a big sigh.

"Okay. Fine. The gods know I need a romantic night out with Chris to help me get over this loss." she muttered. "Look Reyna. I'm sorry. I really wanted to win today. And I felt for sure like we were going to win. Coach Mellie is right. I can't blame this loss all on you. I should've been more aggressive in the front line. But you really let me down there girl. You always came through before. But you didn't now,"

"I .. I know.." Reyna simply replied, not meeting Clarisse's eyes.

Clarisse nodded. "Well, I .. I guess I'll see you around?" Clarisse said, awkwardly extending her hand out for a little fist bump, which Reyna half-heartedly returned. Clarisse then left, along with Reyna's teammates, who seemed not in the mood to converse with Reyna at the moment.

Outside, Reyna and I met up with the rest of the gang, who were already in Tyson's car. Tyson and Ella had planned to go eat some pizza along with Nico and Will at Pizzeria Paradiso in D.C. It was supposed to be a pretty fun after-game event planned by the gang, under the impression we would come out with a win.

But of course, we didn't.

"Hey, Reyna. You should come join us." Will exclaimed from the back of the car, motioning to her.

Reyna let out a soft smile. "Thank you for the offer, Will. But no, that's too kind of you."

"Really Reyna, it's no big deal! Have some fun with us. I know how upset you are about the loss. I'm upset too. But some pizza with awesome friends should definitely cheer your mood up. And we'll definitely talk some soccer in the middle. Did someone say that Real Madrid is better than Barcelona, cough cough."

Reyna grinned a bit at Will's joke."That's alright Will. But I can't. I'm .. I'm not in the mood.."

"Please Rey, I really want you to hang out with us now," Nico added as he came out of the car, approaching Reyna. "Come on! Look, I don't like it when you're so reserved and to yourself Rey. I hate that part of you. I want that to change. Like I was open with you before of how I felt, I now want you to be open with me. Especially when something is bothering you…" Nico stated, voice soft, trying to convince her.

"Yes. Tyson want Reyna to join friends! We're going to be eating some large pepperoni pizza, extra cheese. It's going to be fun!" Tyson added.

Ella, who was sitting shotgun, frowned as she turned to face Tyson. "Tyson likes pizza? Ew. Ella doesn't like cheese. AT ALL. Hates cheese. Hate. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump harbored tremendous hate against one another during the general election..."

"Nico. Guys. Really, I'm .. I'm okay! Seriously. I don't want to interrupt your planned dates. I'll just be home. By .. by myself. But it will be fine! Trust me. Don't .. don't worry!" Reyna exclaimed, forcing a smile. However, I and my friends knew immediately the smile was fake. I knew what Reyna's real smile looked like.

That wasn't it.

Tyson, Nico, Will, and Ella all looked like they wanted to continue arguing with Reyna. Ultimately though, with Reyna continuing her stubbornness, the four finally relented. They then took off, leaving me by myself with Reyna in the parking lot.

Reyna turned to me, expression still blank, as she spoke.

"Percy, it's ok, you don't need to walk me home. I'm more than fine by myself. I don't want to disturb you and the plans you had for the night."

I flashed Reyna a soft encouraging smile. "Hey. It's alright. I was going to walk home anyway regardless. So it's nice to have some pleasant company along with me. Although, you'll probably be teasing me about kicking my butt in our video game so maybe NOT as pleasant as I would like…"

A faint smile appeared on Reyna's face. "Ok. Let's go walk home." as Reyna proceeded to walk, I following behind.

The walk to Reyna's house was a long one, Reyna continuing to be silent the entire time, her earbuds on, I on the side. At times, I tried and attempted to have some sort of conversation with her. I wanted to converse.

I wanted to talk.

But Reyna was unwilling and not interested, continuing to stare ahead, expressionless. I found myself growing more and more exasperated with my repeated, subtle attempts to try to get Reyna to open up, to no avail.

This was a quality of Reyna I always hated, her refusal to be open and honest. It was something that this girl always had when I first met her. A quality that, over time, started to fade away.

But yet she still exhibited.

 _Similar to Annabeth. And me_..

And I really wanted Reyna to get rid of this habit.

Arriving at the front of her house, I finally decided to confront Reyna just as she was about to enter.

"Alright Reyna, look I'm going to just get to it. Please don't feel that you're responsible for losing the game today. Please.." I exclaimed, forcing Reyna to level her gaze with me. "You made a little mistake in the end. That's all. Don't get hung up on it. It's not a big deal!"

Reyna sighed as she hesitantly turned to me, brushing a curl behind her ear, eyes still a hazy dark.

"I wouldn't characterize that as a little mistake, Percy. I cost my team a chance at a spot in the finals with my failure. Everyone did their part, Clarisse, Victoria, Laura. But I didn't do mine. We were finally going to take that next step. Everyone _expected_ me to help the team take the next step. But we didn't. I .. I didn't do my part..."

"Reyna, you shouldn't put that much pressure on yourself. Like Coach Mellie said, you win as a team, you lose as a team. Plus, you were balling out for a majority of the game."

"Well that effort is negligible and nullified considering the outcome…" she muttered

"Reyna…" I firmly stated as I put both my hands on the side of her shoulders, leveling her face with mine. "You did nothing wrong. You made a little mistake, yes. And it sucks that happened. But that doesn't throw away the fact that you played your hardest like you always do throughout. Even more, you took responsibility. And that was a quality I always admired about you. Taking responsibility. You'll get them next time. I know you will. "

Reyna looked at me for a bit. However, she eventually let out a little smile, this one resembling more like the true Reyna smile I came to know, which was a good sight to see.

"T..thank you Percy." she softly replied. "I .. I appreciate that." For a while, there was silence among the two of us, my hands continuing to be on Reyna's shoulders comforting her, Reyna's gaze shifting, looking away and back at me, some apprehensiveness overtaking her.

Eventually, Reyna hesitantly looked up, her sharp black eyes meeting mine. "Um Percy, can I .. can I ask you something?" she slowly asked, an unsure look on her face.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Um. Do .. do you care about me?"

I blinked my eyes for a bit, caught off guard by Reyna's random question, staring at her for a while."Um, w… what?"

"No Percy! Please .. please don't take this question the wrong way!" Reyna stammered, taking a cautious step back away from me, removing my hands from her shoulder. Reyna again started to nervously brush her hair back, more than before. "I .. I don't mean it like .. like LOVE wise. I .. I know you said you're not interested in me. And I'm obviously not .. not interested in .. in you! And that's totally cool. More than .. than cool. I mean it as a friend. A good friend. Do .. do you care for me as a friend?"

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah of course! Of course, I care about you, Reyna. You're my good friend! And I believe vice versa is true as well. Why do you ask?"

Reyna sighed, blowing a curl away in front of her eyes. "No, it's .. it's just .. I .. I don't know Percy but I can't help but feel like no one really, truly cares for me. Especially tonight..."

"What .. what do you mean? Don't say that!" I quickly replied. However, Reyna continued.

"Like after the volleyball game. I know I messed up badly. I know it. And I know Clarisse and my teammates were trying to make me feel better. And I appreciate all their gestures. But I .. I couldn't help but feel like they're actions weren't genuine. I could see right through it. They were all disappointed at me. It .. it wasn't real!"

"Reyna, what are you talking about? Of course, they all care about you. They're your teammates. Friends! They were just bummed they didn't win the game in the end."

"I .. I know. And I don't doubt that they do care for me as friends. But I .. I feel like they did all that because they were sorry. They felt bad for my mistake. It wasn't because they actually, truly cared for me. Cared for me because they DID care for me. I mean, volleyball was always a way for me to try to find a sense of community and place Percy. Belonging. To try to find people who cared for me. I .. I sorta felt that care when I was friends with Clarisse, trying to please her. Act all b*tchy and arrogant. Putting on that confident demeanor. And she kept praising me. I felt a sense of place for once. A .. a feeling of care. But I .. I don't really feel that now.."

"Hey, but you have Nico though! Will. Tyson. They're your good friends. And you always said you considered Nico like a brother to you.."

"I know. But he's not actually my brother Percy. And Nico has Will with him. Tyson, Ella. They're just friends Percy."

"Yeah but a good friend does and will care a lot about you still! You shouldn't doubt that."

"Maybe. But they're still friends in the end. Nothing more. A friend will care only as much as a friend can. And I .. I really want more than that.." Reyna mumbled, her eyes closed the entire time, overcome with some emotion as she was drifting off deep into thought.

It reminded me a lot of when I spoke to Reyna at the library a while back, revealing to me about her sister Hylla, who she loved a lot, that suddenly left in the middle of her life, alone.

 _And like then and now, Reyna looked even more alone._

After a moment of silence, Reyna took note of our surrounding, realizing how dark it was getting. She quickly shook her head, trying to shake and will herself out of her emotional trance.

"I'm .. I'm sorry for all this Percy. I really am. I know this is just stupid personal, emotional crap I'm dealing with. This is none of your business and I know you have to go somewhere soon. I .. I just don't have anyone close to me to talk to about this stuff. About how I'm .. I'm feeling. Doing. A person that I .. I truly trust. I used to be able to do this all with my .. my sister Hylla when I was younger. But, she's .. she's away. And I can't really do that with my government foster parent. I don't really consider her close to me. So I..I was just wondering whether or not you .. you cared about me. I .. I wanted some reassurance that there were people in my life who cared about me. Again I'm sorry if this sounds weird.."

"No, don't apologize. I do care about you, Reyna. And Nico, Will, Tyson do as well. We're your friends Reyna. We'll always care about you no matter what. Especially now." I answered as I went towards Reyna to give her a little hug.

"Yeah. That's .. that's good to hear that you care about me, Percy. As .. as a friend..." Reyna softly replied as she returned my hug. However, almost immediately, I could tell her tone and hug seemed half-hearted.

It was true. I DID care for Reyna. She was a good friend of mine and I did worry about her.

However, the words I care for you I told her felt.. disingenuous, not meaningful, at that moment. It was almost like a throwaway line I was supposed to say in that situation, as a way to comfort her. I couldn't help but think back to one thing Reyna said in particular.

 _A friend will care only as much as a friend can. And I want more than that..._

 _Reyna was right. There .. there is a difference between a person who just says that they care about you and a person that truly loves you a lot saying that they care. You know that that person who loves you really means it. They do care for you. And love you. No matter what._

And you want that kind of person to be there for you when you need it.

After hugging each other for a little while longer, Reyna then broke it.

"It's late now Percy. I should head in. We have a project due tomorrow and I need to get some last-minute research done," she stated as Reyna took out her house keys, unlocking her door, about to head in.

"Hey, don't sweat about it. I'll do the research for you if you want." I offered.

"No, that's alright. I .. I don't have anything else to do tonight. Have.. have anyone with me. So .. so this would be a good time killer for the remainder of the night. It's alright. Learning about the destructive tendencies of Roman gods and goddesses is always fun, right?" she joked, giving a little grin. However, it was artificial.

"I'll .. I'll see you tomorrow?" she finally said.

"Yeah. Ok. Same. Bye Reyna" I replied. Reyna then closed her door, but not before I took note of Reyna's expression one last time, still down and depressed, the mask that she would always have on in the past back again.

Walking home, I couldn't help but continue to play over my conversation with Reyna in the front of her house. Play over the final play of the game, Reyna laying down on the ground, defeated almost.

 _Feeling so alone..._

And I HATED seeing that.

Gods, I really hoped my talk with Wise Girl, later on, would cheer my mood up.

 _I really wish Wise Girl was with me._

* * *

 **(Annabeth POV)**

Exiting out of the subway on the way home, my mind was still playing back what Piper, Silena, my friends all told me.

 _You're scared Annabeth. You just are..._

No I'm not. I'm .. I'm not! Why .. why would I be that way!

Arriving home, I quickly entered my room and plopped myself on my bed. I rested up against some pillows, legs crossed, trying to get comfortable as I turned on my Daedalus edition MacBook, opening the Iris-Messaging App. My mind was still running at a million miles an hour as a video feed of Percy's entirely-blue bedroom came into view.

 _I hope talking with Percy will brighten my mood, like always. That I can forget and ignore all my stupid problem, feelings, and emotions..._

Put them off like I always do.

"Hey what's up Annabeth." Percy started.

"Hey, Percy." I softly replied. Percy looked great tonight. He was wearing a purple sweater, which was a bit oversized for him, which made Percy look really cute. His raven black hair swaying to the right side in an elegant manner. Those green eyes of his calm and opening, eyes you couldn't help but get lost in, feel relaxed, content.

It was a simple, cute, handsome Percy style that I would always love and be attracted to.

 _And missed a lot..._

However, Percy's demeanor seemed down currently. That typical Percy energy when it came to speaking with me wasn't there. Percy looked like he had just been on a grueling, draining quest as he took a hard sip of his blue coke.

"So what's up? Anything cool going on there?" I then asked, trying to start some conversation.

"No. Nothing much. I just came back from a volleyball game at school, that's all." he replied.

"That's nice. How was it?"

"It .. it was bad," Percy said, sighing as he closed his eyes. "Our school lost against our rival, the Empousas, 2 sets to 1, in our county semi-finals "

"Oh."

"Yeah. It was pretty stunning since we were expected to win the game and move on to the finals for the first time in our school history. My .. my friend Reyna was playing in the game. I think I mentioned her before. Anyways, she missed a simple tip at the end that would have tied the game. Reyna taking the loss very harshly. I .. I feel terrible for her. " he murmured.

"Uh, Reyna. Yeah, you .. you told me about her before Percy. That .. that sucks..." I uttered. I started to stiffen up a bit at the mention of that pretty Reyna girl I saw before, uncomfortable. I started to fiddle around a bit with my friendship necklace.

 _What kind of relationship does Percy have with Reyna? They're only friends, right? But does ..does Percy like that girl more than as a friend._

I tried to ignore these thoughts, quickly changing the topic. "Uh, anyway, hey, have .. have you seen this new _Infinity War_ movie that everyone was talking about? I just finished watching it online. It's pretty freaking epic!"

For a moment, Percy's damp mood faded, replaced with that typical Percy grin, which I loved. "Oh no. I didn't yet Annabeth. I'm planning to! But apparently, it was really good! My half-bro, Tyson, watched it with Nico and Will over the week at _AMC Theaters_. Man, I could've sworn Nico was crying when I picked the three up from the movies, though he keeps vehemently denying it. Typical freaking Nico.."

I smiled. "Yeah, but you can't blame him though. The ending was really sad. I was crying a bit. But you give credit to Marvel, who have done quite a good job with their past movies. Gods, let me tell you, Samantha was going on for DAYS how I would be her favorite person in the world if I went to Marvel Studios for her. Ugh, I think she has legit Marvel-fangirling-syndrome." I groaned.

Percy laughed. "Wow. You never told me you were a doctor their Wise Girl. When the hell did that happen?" he joked.

I rolled my eyes at Percy. "Oh shut up Percy! You shouldn't be the one teasing me when you're the guy I have to remind constantly to call his best friend..." I joked.

Percy's face frowned. "Ok look Annabeth. I want to get this straight. I would've called you even if you DIDN'T remind me. Trust me for that!"

I crossed my arms. "Alright, no offense Seaweed Brain but you and I BOTH know you need me in your life when it comes to reminding you of things. Come on, just admit it." I then shot back, giving him my classic _just admit it Seaweed Brain!_ look.

Percy wanted to continue arguing. However, he finally relented. "Ugh, fine Annabeth. Yes, I DO need your immense, overbearing annoyingness in my life Wise Girl. You know you should also try being a mom. You wouldn't be half bad at it..." he muttered.

I stuck my tongue out at Percy. "Shut up," as he grinned. However, I started to get down at what Percy said.

 _I need you in my life Wise Girl..._

 _Yeah, and I .. I need you in my life, Percy..._

The rest of the while, Percy and I continued to talk, getting into our usual playful, banter-filled routine. For a speck of time, I thought that I could avoid talking about my issues, again.

 _My feelings and emotions, again_

Like I wanted to do.

However, eventually, the inevitable came up. "Oh, damn how did I almost forget this Annabeth. California! You're going to go there soon!" Percy exclaimed, that smile of his widening, as he clapped his hands.

My smile faded. "Um, yeah. California..."

"Yes! Alright! Gods, I still can't believe you're going there! It's going to be amazing! You know there's actually a Six Flags in California Annabeth! It's not as good as the one in New Jersey but it's still pretty lit. So, if you have time, you should definitely go there and check out the rides! Of course, if you're brave enough to do it and don't chicken out _Wise Girl_." he teased.

I let out a little chuckle and smirked. "Smh. Chicken out. You're .. you're talking about yourself, right Seaweed Brain? I'm .. I'm not .. scared!" I murmured which got Percy to eye roll at me. However, my tone was low, expression rather monotone. My eyes started to drift away a bit from Percy, not wanting to meet his eyes. Mind on that one, tantalizing word...

 _Scared..._

Percy noticed mood dip. He then acknowledged it.

"What is it Annabeth?" he finally asked, cutting to the chase.

"Percy. I .. I decided not to go California." I then said, voice barely audible. The smile on Percy's face quickly faded. His mood, which had been so happy and elated at the thought of me going to California, darkening. Replaced with one of shock. Disappointment.

"What?"

"I'm .. I'm not planning on going."

"Annabeth! What? Why .. why don't you want to go?" Percy asked, flabbergasted and floored.

"I .. I just don't want to go Percy. That's it." I quickly answered

"Annabeth…"

"Look, I .. I talked about it with my friends already!" I exclaimed, shuffling around my bed a bit. "Samantha. Dad. Mr. Chiron. They .. they all wanted me to go. But I .. I was thinking about it a lot. And I decided that participating in the contest would not be worth it. It .. it would be a waste of time for me..."

"Annabeth we talked about this before. It's NOT a waste of time! It's not! You're going to be doing something you love, architecture, as well as exploring an awesome, new place! Aren't you excited to go to California Wise Girl? Don't judge me but I was REALLY looking forward to you to maybe send me one of those famous In-N-Out burgers I keep hearing about..."

I smirked. _Typical Seaweed Brain..._ However, I quickly got serious again. "But no. I .. I still don't want to do it." I replied. For a while, Percy stared at me with those deep green eyes of his, trying to pick and read me, desperately hoping that I would change my mind, think about this decision some more, almost trying to will me into doing so.

However, I remained rigidly stubborn, my gray eyes as gray as ever, vague, masking off my inner true emotions.

 _A habit I always did. And frankly kept hating for doing so.._

"You .. you serious Annabeth? You're not going to go for real?" Percy finally said after a long and fruitless while of observing me.

"Yeah, I'm .. I'm not going." I simply replied.

"Gods .. why ... why are you so scared Annabeth!" Percy suddenly lashed out. For a while, I blinked at Percy, not processing what he said.

"What?"

"Why are you so scared? Annabeth, why?"

Similar to with my friends, dad, I started to get defensive, at that word.

 _Scared..._

"Hey! I'm not scared, Percy! I'm not!"

"Then why don't you want to go to the contest Annabeth? Huh? Why? You always told me when we were young your dream was to be an architect! You practically spent your entire days couped in your room Annabeth, drawing and sketching. You were always so happy when you did it. And I was always happy for you! Now you have a chance to achieve that dream. But you're just going to throw it away? Why!"

"I .. I just don't want to go Percy. That's all. I .. I don't need to explain why!" I exclaimed. "Like I said, I was thinking about it some more over the week. Talking with various people. Luke.."

"Oh so LUKE told you not to go, huh Annabeth? He told you that you shouldn't go." Percy muttered, some harshness creeping into his voice.

"No, Luke .. Luke didn't! Luke just told me that he thought it would be better if I put my effort into something I knew I would succeed in. Like my upcoming track and academic decathlon contest. And I .. I thought he was right. I'm .. I'm not guaranteed to win the contest, Percy. It .. it was naive to think that way. Luke was making some decent points.."

"So your charming boyfriend doesn't believe that you could win the contest? He doesn't f*cking believe in you." Percy snarled, disgust present in his tone.

"Luke .. Luke is not my boyfriend anymore Percy.." I feebly retorted. However, that point seemed to be mute and lost in the grand scheme of things as we continued to stare at one another, almost in a dangerously combative manner.

"Then why don't you want to go? Huh?" Percy pushed.

"I don't want to go! That's .. that's it. Why .. why are you so freaking insistent on the reasons Seaweed Brain!"

"Because Annabeth, I know for a fact that you're not happy with this choice. I know it!"

"Hey! Who .. who the heck are you to judge that Percy, huh?" I yelled, my voice raising, face getting close to my laptop webcam, as was Percy's. Something inside me started to stir a bit, a little pit growing in my stomach. "I'm perfectly happy with my choices! I'm .. I'm perfectly happy with this choice. I am!"

"Are you Annabeth? Are you? I know you Annabeth! Don't lie to me. You want to do this but something inside you is saying don't!" Percy shot back.

"You .. you don't know what in Hades you're talking about _Perseus Jackson_ …" I replied, using the Greek version of Percy's name, which I rarely used, my voice continuing to slowly but surely rise.

"Annabeth, if you're always scared to take a chance and never go for something, how will you know? How will you know if you're always boxing yourself off from things!"

"I'm not boxing myself off Percy! I'm .. I'm not! I.." I wanted to continue arguing with Percy, pelting back with all my effort and fury all these accusations. From my friends. Dad. Percy.

 _You're scared Annabeth. Just admit it to yourself. Admit it to Percy. You're scared..._

No, I'm not. I'm not!

Yet, for just a momentary lapse, I felt myself soften a bit, taking in Percy's words. The part of me that wanted to be honest, more open, in touch with my feelings, starting to take a temporary hold of me.

Yes. I am scared to take this chance. I'm scared that I will fail. That I won't do well. Of taking a chance in something I don't know in...

 _Like I'm scared to take a chance on my feelings of love for Percy. Of feeling that he doesn't love me back. That our love wouldn't stay. That I'd be left .. alone. By myself._ _Like I felt so many times before..._

And like I feel right now without Percy...

However, I belted aside my emotions. My expression quickly hardened, putting that Annabeth mask on again. I started to grow more and more frustrated by Percy's rugged persistence on this topic, wanting him to end it.

"No. You're .. you're wrong there Percy! I'm not scared. You're just absolutely wrong!" I reiterated for what felt to be the hundredth time today.

"Annabeth. Repeating it over and over doesn't make it true."

"Oh, gods you're now sounding like f*cking Piper..." I mumbled.

"Well, she's right. She's right. Just admit it Annabeth! Please..." Percy pleaded.

"Percy stop it! Just stop this, Perseus Jackson, please!" I said, my voice reaching its apex, feeling myself slowly losing a grip on my emotions.

"Annabeth no. I won't stop. Cause I don't like this part of you! I HATE seeing you like this. Just admit it. Please, Annabeth. I.."

"WELL, AT LEAST I DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THINGS! LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE LIKE YOU!" I cried out, my anger finally reaching its tipping point, the pit in my stomach fully unraveling. I was breathing heavily, body teetering, my gray eyes fierce and full of anger. I felt some raw, mixed emotions inside me being released, my emotional pressure valve unloading.

 _Emotions I felt ever since Percy left._

And even longer than that...

"Percy…" I said, blinking my eyes, just realizing what I did. "Oh .. oh my gods. I'm .. I'm so sorry for that! I don't know what got over me! I..."

Percy was silent for a while, those sea-green eyes drifting away from me, not wanting to meet my eyes. I could sense some pain in Percy at my statement. Heartbreak.

 _Hurt..._

Eventually, after a long moment of silence, Percy broke it. In a soft, low, croaky voice he started to speak, though his eyes still refused to meet mine. "Yes, Annabeth. Maybe I've run away from things. I've .. I've left people alone. But you know why I'm saying all this to you. Why I keep doing this? Because I care about you. A lot. F*cking a lot. Even more than myself maybe."

"Percy..."

Percy then looked up at the clock, which was now almost 12. Percy finally looked up at me with his eyes, though I could still sense the immense hurt from my words emitting from them "I have to go now Annabeth. There's a project I have to do tomorrow. I'll .. I'll see you later..."

"Percy no wait. Don't .. don't leave." I implored. But Percy had already hung up, leaving me to be with myself.

 _And alone again..._

* * *

 **Oh, you guys must hate me so much for having Annabeth and Percy fight. I'm sorry but it's highly necessary for the plot. And prior** **to what you guys might think, I DON'T enjoy writing these sad, emotional chapters. I'm all for happy Percabeth. I don't call them my number one OTP for no reason. And that argument drained me emotionally.**

 **You'll get some sweet fluffy Percabeth eventually! Don't worry.**

 **Anywhoooo, enjoy your weeks.  
**

 **-FrictionFiction108**

 **(A/N 1): Truth time. I didn't actually get to see Avengers Infinity War yet. I'm not too into superhero movies, unfortunately though I'm trying to change that.**

 **However, I felt that it was a cool little reference to make ;).**

 **(A/N): I want to make a little comment on the DJ artist Avicii who, unfortunately, passed away last month April 20th on Friday. Avicii was on my favorite EDM artists. He was the one who helped to popularize the genre and make it as big as it is right now. I listen to at least one of his songs every day, sometimes listening to Avicii right when I'm writing my fanfics to help me get in the mood, make me feel better whenever I had a sh*itty day. It came as a shock when I learned of his death. He had so much left to offer.**

 **So this is just a little tribute to him. Here's are some songs you should listen to from Avicii if interested:**

 **Avicii - Sunset Jesus,** **Avicii - Dear Boy (Avicii by Avicii),** **Avicii ft Sandro Cavazza - Without You (Original Mix),** **Avicii - Lay Me Down (Avicii by Avicii),** **Avicii & Sebastien Drums - My Feelings for You, ****Avicii - The Night ,** **Avicii vs Madonna - Girl Gone Wild,** **Avicii - Fade into Darkness,** **Every Teardrop is a Waterfall (Avicii Tour Mix),** **Tim Berg - Seek Bromance**


	23. Chapter 20 - Scared Part III

**Happy mid-September everyone.  
**

 **I'm going to keep this A/N short as no one seems to read these things, least for my story lol. First off, please check out my other one-shot based off Just Friends,** _ **Annabeth's Birthday,**_ **if you can! It's a really cute one-shot taking place after Percabeth becomes a couple in Just Friends. So, check it out if you haven't yet! It seemed that a lot of people who usually review for Just Friends didn't notice that I released my one shot, which kind of bummed me out.**

 **So check it out pretty please. Really cute fluff. And honestly who the hell doesn't like fluff :)**

 **-Friction.**

 **PS: An appropriate song for this chapter would be** _ **Two Friends - Bandaid.**_ **Really recommend you listen to it. ;). Forgive me for any typos and sentence structure errors.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 20 Scared Part III**

 **I'm There For You**

 _ **(Annabeth POV)**_

"Annabeth, my dear, are you sure about this? Do you really not want to go?"

My gaze with Mr. Chiron faltered, my silver eyes trying to dart away from his, as silence took hold of the space. Earlier today, I had told my friends I wasn't planning on going to California, for sure. Silena, Hazel, Piper, and Rachel were all aghast. They repeatedly pleaded, yet again, for me to go.

" _Annabeth why not?"_

" _Annabeth…"_

" _Seriously Annabeth, you're missing out on a lot. I just found out today on Mad Men fandom wiki that a majority of their episodes were shot in LA. I was so excited! Oh my f*cking god girl I was going to ask you if you could buy me like a souvenir or something from Cali…" Silena stated._

Annabeth why are you scared to try….

Now, in Mr. Chiron's office, those questions were thrown at my direction, ones I wish I could avoid.

 _Again and again and again…._

"No, I'm .. I'm not planning on going." I finally responded.

Mr. Chiron continued to survey me with those fawn, keen eyes of his. Those orbs seemed to carry a millennium's worth of wisdom and experience.

"Can I have an explanation?"

"I … I just don't want to go, that's all..." I tersely stated, repeating again that same trite explanation.

Mr. Chiron sighed, running a quick hand through his brown wispy goatee, silver strokes of grey present through it. "Annabeth, I hate to prod. But I want to know why exactly…"

"I ... I don't think I can do it Mr. Chiron. I'm .. I'm not cut out for that competition. There are a lot of students competing. I'm …"

 _You're scared to take a chance_ Percy's faint voice began to reverberate in my head.

Mr. Chiron slowly wheeled his way towards me from behind his office desk. He then extended his hand out, placing it on my shoulder. I could sense Chiron's calm and caretaker aura reflect upon my body, urging my shielded eyes, in more ways than one, to level with his and open up.

As always I resisted.

"Are you scared child?" Mr. Chiron softly questioned. "Is this the reason why you don't want to go?" I felt myself stiffen as if I was being interrogated. That wretched word _scared,_ which had been nagging through my head like a swelling, painful, gnat for the whole night.

 _My argument with Percy from the night before that I wanted to forget so badly, indebted deeply inside me..._

 _You want to do this Annabeth but something inside you is saying don't…._

"I'm ... I'm not Mr. Chiron. What makes you think that?" I responded, though my voice was shrill.

"Annabeth, tis okay to be scared," Mr. Chiron continued. "That is a very normal feeling to have. Apprehension when it comes to trying something new. Fear upon endeavoring into the unknown. Even for a smart, talented, confident girl like you, that is common. However, what you cannot allow is for that apprehension to overtake us. That fear to dictate our actions. To tell us what we can and cannot do."

"But I'm ... I'm not though Mr. Chiron! I don't know why you and my friends keep saying that I'm scared! I'm just, I'm ... I'm …" I quickly retorted.

Chiron just simply nodded. The silence again lingered in the office, my thoughts continuing to whirl. Mr. Chiron's eyes then drifted to the far back of his office, towards the memorabilia shelf full of various awards and honors CHB High School had won through the years.

A particular trophy caught his eye.

The girl's gold track team trophy. And, front and center, my name.

 _Annabeth Chase. Freshman. MVP of the CHB Girl's Track Team..._

Mr. Chiron smiled as he carefully took the trophy off the display shelf. For a while, Mr. Chiron surveyed the trophy, his fingers running along the edges of my name.

After a long and thoughtful observation, Mr. Chiron turned to me, soft smile. "Remember this, Annabeth? Your very first track win."

Though my thoughts were still muddled, a little smile formed on my face as I recalled back to that memory. "Yeah, I ... I remember that."

"Spring of freshman year. The 100th New York City Borough High School 400 meter track competition. Our school was going up against our arch rival, the Titans. I remember months before you had gone up to me during high school orientation inquiring about our track program."

"I ... I remember that. I had never done track before so I was curious about how I could join when tryouts started, days the practices were held, location for the meets."

A chuckle escaped Mr. Chiron's lips. "Curious indeed child. Being of such olden age, it warms my heart to see any young student of mine with such genuine optimism and hope. Especially from you Annabeth. It is quite _cute_ indeed..."

"Ugh stop Chiron! Please. Don't use that word for me. That's really embarrassing!" I muttered.

Mr. Chiron laughed as he playfully pushed his hand on my shoulder. "I am sorry Annabeth. I do consider you as a daughter so I am going to act all dad-like and embarrass you as much as possible. That was always the thing you had. _Hope._ A willingness to try new things. _Take chances._ I see that quality lacking in a lot of students, unfortunately, these days. And I … I always admire that about you Annabeth."

"Now, a gazillion medals later, you are the MVP of the team and high school." Mr. Chiron joked as I gently chuckled. Mr. Chiron finally put the trophy down, his deep eyes refocusing back to me, determined expression.

"Annabeth, life is all about the chances you get and whether you choose to take them. I had so many students before like you with tremendous potential. _Talent._ They had so many opportunities in front of them go to waste. Because they didn't take that next leap. _They didn't take that chance._ Annabeth I mean it when I say you are a unique girl. And you have a LOT of talent. That's why it pains me to see this tacitness from you. You can't let your fears abstain you. Let your inner monsters haunt and beat you. You won this trophy before because you TOOK the chance. Because even if you felt fear and dread, you didn't let it hinder you. You overcame it. Please, I implore you Annabeth, reconsider this competition again my dear. I had a quick talk with your father in Britain in regards to your family's current finances. Is that the reason for your reticence? I know you are the type of girl to be cognizant and mindful of those factors and that is an admirable trait. But child do not worry. The school will do everything in our power to accommodate your expenses, trip, anything. You just need to say yes and that is all. " Mr. Chiron concluded, eyes returning to me.

I opened my mouth, about to respond. Yet I didn't know what to say. Chiron's soft eyes continued to observe me from a distance, his prudent advice ringing through my head. Students said Chiron had that ability to do that, bring a calm presence to a calamitic situation. I always considered Chiron a consistent father figure I never truly had in my life. I took any of his advice, whether big or small, with great consideration.

 _You can't let your fears abstain you. Things from the past stop you from what your heart truly wants Annabeth._

You need to take a chance...

"Annabeth, I'm in love with you…" Percy started to say. I found myself back in that little moment of time. I could almost see Percy's jade, green eyes, which I haven't seen in person in the gods knows how long, look at me sincerely. The anticipation on his face, that I just simply say yes to him.

 _Follow what my heart wanted…_

My heart wanted Percy. I _knew_ I wanted Percy...

But I kept saying no to my heart again.

 _And again..._

Like I was doing now.

The sound of the school bell saved me from my inner turmoils.

"I should go now, Mr. Chiron. I'm planning on hanging out with my friends after school. I really thank you for your advice. But I'm ... I'm certain that I'm not going." I briskly stated as I stood up from my chair, gray eyes still hazy.

A look of dismay appeared on Mr. Chiron. He seemed to age drastically as I affirmed my disappointing decision, this one taking more of a toll. It was a look that I had seen a number of times. From my friends. Dad.

 _On Percy. When I rejected him. When I lashed out at him during our call last night._

" _WELL, AT LEAST I DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THINGS! LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE LIKE YOU…"_

 _Alone…._

That aloneness I felt at that moment, with no one to turn to. It was like a stab from a poison dagger.

 _Only this time, I didn't have Percy with me to be able to mend that wound._

I was alone...

"Ok, Annabeth. I will see you this Monday. Remember, you have a track meet that day since you're not going to California. Enjoy your weekend child."

"Thanks, Mr. Chiron. I'll see you Monday." I weakly answered as I exited the office, the dreadful pit in my stomach persisting. I trudged outside, feeling a heavy burden inside like a weight of the sky, emotional rather than physical.

Exhaling, I took my phone out, about to call Piper and tell her I was headed to the subway.

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted me.

"Annabeth! Hey! Wait up."  
I looked up for my phone, peering back. It was my ex-boyfriend Luke. He had a towel slung over his right shoulder, Nike gym bag over left. It looked like he had just gotten out of the gym, some sweat still running down his face. A friendly smile was present as Luke extended his hand out for a low five.

"Oh. Hi Luke." I said, politely smiling, returning the low five.

"What's up Annabeth? I saw you exit Mr. Chiron's office. Everything alright?"

"Oh. Yeah, um, everything is fine Luke. Mr. Chiron and I were discussing … some things. How I've been. Track. Clubs. The … the competition in California…"

The worried expression that happened to be on Luke's face dissipated. "Oh. Phew! I thought for a moment you were ACTUALLY in trouble. Then I realized this is Annabeth f*cking Chase we're talking about here. _Impossible_ she made Mr. C pissed…"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Smh. What the hell is that supposed to mean?…"

Luke grinned. "Just saying. I've ... I've dated you for around a year Annabeth. I know you. You are such a goodie two shoes…"

"Gods shut UP Luke. You know I hate that term." I muttered. We exchanged some quick laughter.

Luke then cleared his throat. "So, that competition in California? You've decided that you're not going? For real?"

My little grin faded. "Oh. Y … yeah. I've … I've decided that I'm not planning on going. It was ... a multitude of things. My schedule is very tight currently, track, clubs, SATs coming up. And I mean, me in California? Doing an architecture contest? That … that is crazy! Doesn't really fit me, you know?" I responded, letting out some contrived, awkward laughter.

Luke nodded slowly. "I … I understand Annabeth." We were both quiet for a while. Eventually, Luke said, "I hope my advice didn't influence your decision Annabeth. Again, if you want to go, ignore me and go! The competition sounds great! I just thought, as your friend, I should give you the reasons why I thought it was best you should not go..."

"No Luke. Don't … don't worry," I said, cutting him off. "This was my own decision! I came to the same conclusion as you did. Taking a chance in this contest isn't going to lead anywhere. And I'm … I'm happy with this decision. So please don't worry about it." I smiled. I could feel, though, a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, as I said the word happy.

 _You're not happy with this decision Annabeth. Don't lie to yourself._

Like you always do...

"Um o… ok, Luke. I should be going. I have some plans to go hang out with the girls at Madison Square Park so I need to head to the subway. It was nice talking to you." I finally said as I flashed Luke another smile, turning to leave.

Luke suddenly interrupted me though. "Actually, um Annabeth. I … I want to ask you something. Do you mind if I take you somewhere first before you go?"

I had a puzzled expression. "Take me somewhere? What … what do you mean?"

"I … I just want to take you somewhere Annabeth. That's all! It is a Friday afternoon right before the weekend. I thought I'd take you to an interesting place that I really like a lot. Talk to you for a bit. Don't worry, this place is in the school so it won't take that long. I've … I've actually been meaning to take you here for the past weeks..."

"That … that sounds fun, Luke. It does. But like I said, I made some plans already with the girls. Also, um, you know…" I awkwardly added at the end, unsure of whether to bring up our _ex-boyfriend/girlfriend status._

My ex-boyfriend sensed my apprehension though. He let out a little smile. "For the record, I'm not asking you out on a date. Just thought I'd clear that up..."

I raised my eyebrows. "I … I wasn't…"

"Annie don't lie to me. I know you. Further, even if I was trying to sneakily court you on a date, you would've sensed my plan from miles away. I can never get anything past you." he teased.

I eventually laughed a bit and rolled my eyes, my tenseness subsiding. "That is true. You can never get anything past me." I responded.

"Still got that pridefulness to you too, huh? Typical Beth..." Luke remarked, which made me groan.

"Shut it."

Luke laughed. "So, you up for it Annabeth? Again, just two friends hanging out at this awesome place."

After musing for a while, I responded. "Ok. Silena might be a little angry since she wanted to check out this cool smoothie place nearby but I'm down for it."

A big grin erupted on Luke's face, which made me smile. "Alright! Come on Annie, follow me."

"Smh what is up with you and these stupid nicknames all of a sudden?" I moaned again as Luke chuckled. I followed Luke as he went down the hallway, that grin of his still present.

After a while, we arrived at the back of our school, near the indoor cafeteria. As Luke continued to walk down to the far back of the walkway, approaching an old, rusty door, I realized where he was headed.

The outdoor cafeteria area.

Before, during freshman and fall of sophomore year, the outdoor cafeteria was the premier hangout spot in our high school. I remember spending my lunch and after school there, reading, doing homework, talking with my friends, or just laying and soaking in the place, reflecting, contemplating.

That was until the school cleaning harpies discovered some shaving cream, graffiti, and toilet paper rolls one spring day plastered on the Greek statues. Mr. Chiron was furious, which was rare to see, and the school had to shut the area down for renovations. (PS : I seriously don't understand how the school didn't even consider the Stoll Brothers as the main culprits. Everyone and their grandmas KNOW they did it. Seriously…)

So the place was unfortunately closed this school year.

Luke slowly reached into his pocket, fumbling around a bit. Eventually, a small, bronze key appeared.

"May I ask where you got that?" I asked.

Luke shrugged as he stuck the key into the door and turned it. "Argus, the janitor. He's a really nice and warm guy. Doesn't talk much though. Anyways, I became friends with him over the years as he would always clean out the guy's football lockers after each home game. I convinced Argus that I was planning to use this place for our football team meetups so he made me a set of keys. Course, er, I kind of ended up using the place for some rather fun after school parties with my boys but forget I ever said that last part. Hey, it was non-alcoholic by the way!"

I sarcastically nodded my head in approval. "Mmm. Great job. And now you're bringing me along as an unknowing accomplice. Nice."

Luke snorted. "Will you stop being such a stickler Annabeth? What I'm doing isn't THAT bad."

"Well I mean I'm pretty sure New York law considers trespassing a felony but ok..."

"The only felony being committed here is you not coming inside before someone spots us. Now come on Beth stop whining and come with me." as Luke led me in.

Outside, I took a while to acclimate to my surrounding. It felt like ages since I've been here. We were surrounded by multiple beautiful flower bushes, a contribution by our school's amazing garden club headed by Katie Gardner and her mother Demeter, who happened to be a part of the Society of American Florists. As it was already springtime, the orchids, tulips, magnolias, and multiple other flowers were colorful and vibrant. To the left, some little marble water fountains and little statues of Greek hero figures were adorned. There was also a little theater stage in the back where some kids would perform some comedies, dramas for fun. Funny enough, Mr. D spent a lot of time there and pushed for the creation of the drama stage. It was one of few things Dionysus actually seemed to care about in our school, which was a first.

However, the main place was the pavilion in the middle. The pavilion was modeled off the ones that would have been seen and abundant in ancient Greece. I remember quite vividly on my Greece trip with Luke the both of us visiting these simple but elegant structures. The concrete pillars were made to look like pure marble. The rotunda at the top was spacious with the ceilings painted with various Greek mythological stories.

The pavilion was one other awesome place out here in the cafeteria area. It was also secretly known as one of CHB's most romantic hookup places.

 _And where Luke asked me to be his girlfriend for the first time…._

Luke slowly made his way in, sitting down on one of the available stone benches along the pavilion's perimeter. He motioned me to sit near him, which I obliged. For a while, the two of us just sat, quiet, in a state of contemplation and nostalgia as we continued to admire our surrounding environment.

After a long period of silence, Luke spoke. "This place brings back a lot of memories, huh?" he remarked.

My gray eyes reverted back to Luke's blue."Yeah, it … it does."

"I miss this place so f*cking much. I remember when Mr. C announced they would be closing it for the year, how sad I was. My bros and I would always come here after football, basketball practice, anything. We would chill, knock ourselves out, and, you know _talk_. We don't really do that much anymore. _Talk._ Course we got in trouble repeatedly from the cleaning harpies for staying too late. But it was well worth it." as I chuckled.

"I think it was the third week of freshman year Annabeth. It was lunch as usual. I sat in my area with Beck, the Stolls, Jake Mason. I noticed though that there was this certain cute blonde girl walking past my table, headed into the pavilion, some textbooks and novels held tightly against her chest. I turned to Beck and asked him who this new chick was. Course, it turned out to be the great Annabeth Chase…."

"Whoa you … you were checking me out?" I asked.

Luke tried to remain his calm, laid-back, cool self. However, there were some shades of pink creeping on his cheeks. "Hey! You can't blame me Annabeth. I see a new girl who happens to be pretty attractive at lunch. I think the natural inclination is for me to check her out a bit, right?"  
"God boys can be so freaking weird at times..." I mumbled.

"Hey! Anyways, I kind of watched you for a bit from a distance, observing. You had this shy but really cute quality to you Annabeth. You would be so focused on your book but at the same time, you seemed to be calculating and thinking about hundreds of things all at the same time. I was intrigued. So the next few days, I went to the same spot daily. I had the usual peanut butter jelly sandwich, Kool-Aid, and chocolate chip cookies, my favorite. You would always be in the pavilion either with your friends, teachers. But it was always mostly by yourself. I made sure I wasn't caught. It's kind of weird having to explain that I'm kinda spying on this interesting girl while pretending to eat a PB & J."

"Mmm. Good decision." I noted as Luke smiled.

"However, one fall Friday, after school, our football practice was canceled. Most of my friends decided to head to Joe's Pizza Broadway to hang out, per usual. However, a few buddies of mine, Charles and I, wanted to go hang out here. It would have been fair to say that we had a preference for this area. You were also spending your after school here."

"I remember that Friday. I was waiting for the girls to come over and I was reading my English novel for homework. _Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austen. It was a really beautiful day."

"It was. Outside, Charles and I were playing the usual toss and catch, talking about our classes, upcoming competition, personal stuff. Most of my buddies, and frankly, all of my friends, are surprised when I tell them that I enjoy spending downtime with a few close friends and having "alone time". They make fun of me for that. People always assume, being popular, you always want to be around other popular people, being social 24/7. But that's _not_ true at all. I … I really savor the moments of my day I have solitude. To get away from all the noise with school, friends, personal life. You sometimes _need_ alone time to look back and contemplate. To ask yourself really, what are the things, people I hold close and dear to me. I know Annabeth, just some weird, deep personal sh*t I'm talking about. Sorry, I'm boring you with this…"

"No Luke, it's okay. I … I understand that." I softly said. For a brief speck of time, I thought back to that memorable New Year's Eve from last year, Percy and I out together on the outdoor patio. That memory seemed so distant now. I remember resting my head on his soft and inviting shoulder through the late night hours, just relating to him anything that happened to be on my mind at the moment.

 _Talking._

It was those little moments I loved. Those small things I enjoyed about our relationship. That reminded me why I missed talking to Percy for so long in the months after he left.

 _And missed him._

A thankful smile broke out on Luke's face. "I had a feeling you would get where I was coming from Annabeth. Anyways, I couldn't help but continue to steal some glances back at the pavilion at times, hoping you would somehow peer up and take note of me. I tried really hard too to put some good heat on my throw to Charles."

I snickered. "Trying to show off to the girl, huh? Nice."

"Shut up Annie. In the middle, Charles decided to call a long pass. I went right in front of where you were sitting, anticipating the pass. However, Charles whiffed the throw, lobbing it high and far. I ran back, trying to run it down. However, the ball ended up bouncing off the ground…"

"And right into your book…"

"Oh of course. The classic _football-gets-thrown-around-the-girl's-vicinity-by-"accident"-and-the-guy-comes-up-to-say-hi_ move _._ That one is a real charmer..." I joked.

Luke chuckled. "I swear on the River Styx it was an accident! Beck is going to kill me for saying this but his accuracy is absolutely _terrible_. The overthrow was a fortunate coincidence. But I can't lie and say a part of me wasn't wishing that Charles heave the ball at your direction." as I rolled my eyes.

"So I went up to you, asking for the ball. I felt this weird sense of nervousness I never felt before. I didn't know what to expect when talking to you for the first time. I remember you were gripping the football, gray eyes continuing to focus on your book. Every so often you would glance up at me for a slight moment, your eyes almost trying to decipher and figure me out. After a while, you packed up your books and belongings. You stood up to leave. However, before leaving, you quickly handed the ball to me. For the first time, we made eye contact. Clearing your throat, you tersely said, 'Little tip for you guys. Don't try to throw the ball too hard. You sacrifice accuracy for a minimal gain in distance...'. Then you left.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I … I did do that. I had to go help the art teacher with something that Friday. And I mean I don't _play_ football but I can't understand why guys can't throw a simple, vertical pass. It's not about how hard you throw. It's about creating the right arm angle and letting the ball flow freely off your fingers."

Luke smiled. "Yep. The first words of Annabeth Chase to me. How sweet. Normally, I would be scared as hell with a girl who acts like that. But I enjoy a girl who has the right amount of sass and smarts. I went up to your locker after school to apologize for what happened. I think I _definitely_ threw Beck under the bus for the incident and he was pretty pissed about that. Aside from the snarky, typical Annabeth comments, you were super cool about it. We started to talk for a while. Before I knew it, I started to eat lunch with you, hang out after school. And, you know, one thing led to another and finally, around a year ago, I decided to finally ask you out, right here..." Luke softly stated, his voice drifting off at the end.

"Y … yeah." I said. A silence yet again took hold of the place, Luke seemingly deep in thought, I continuing to reflect on my own. A nagging question though hit me in the middle.

I decided to ask it.

"Luke, why … why did you decide to go up to my locker afterward? Why were you that interested in me? I don't get how a shy girl reading her novel is enticing. No … no one has ever really cared too much about me…" I mentioned.

Luke turned to me. He had an almost offended, hurt expression to my comment, which I was taken aback by. "Annabeth, sometimes you can act so _stubborn_ and _ignorant_ about the special qualities you have. When I began to talk to you for that brief moment at your locker, I felt really at ease. Like I am now. You seemed to care a lot about what I had to say. A lot of people view me just as a jock. That I have a dad, Hermes, who happens to be rich. _That everything is fine with me_. You, though, viewed me as a person, with emotions. Not a lot of girls, or people frankly, do that. It's … it's really hard to find that nowadays. _Genuineness._ I … I hate it when people you know, people you are close with, are not honest and upfront with you. And yes I know I am guilty of doing that myself. That's … that's why we broke up. But it doesn't mean I _enjoy_ doing so or don't regret acting in that matter…"

"I …I know" I merely responded.

 _I want to be more honest about my feelings, Percy. I want to be more honest with myself. Honest about how I feel about things._

And people….

Luke simply nodded. "That's why I was really intrigued by you. And still am now..." Luke suddenly heard a text message notification from his iPhone. Taking it out, he bit back a curse

"Sh*t. Charles just texted me. We're going to the movies soon. AMC Union Square. Planning on seeing that new Marvel _Infinity War_ film everyone has been raving about. F*cking Charles and his Iron Man obsession. You should also probably go Annabeth. She can get quite feisty if you are not on time. I really thank you for coming here. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit at this rather nostalgic place before the weekend." Luke said as he flashed me a little smile.

I pensively returned it. Luke got up, grabbing his gym bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Luke then led me to the door, about to exit and lock it. I followed his lead. However, as I stared around at this outdoor cafeteria for one last time, replaying my deep conversation with Luke, a question hit me.

"Luke, can I ask, why … why did you take me here in the first place? Why did you want to talk to me?" I slowly asked.

Luke stopped in his tracks. There seemed to be some hesitance from his end at my question, Luke looking like he wanted to avoid it.

However, cautiously, Luke turned to face me, his baby blue eyes meeting my gray. His lips opened, about to speak. Yet I could sense that what Luke was about to say, he had been planning for a while.

 _Meaning to say it for a long time…_

"Annabeth, I … I was thinking about the conversation we had at your locker this Wednesday for the past days. About your upcoming architecture contest in California. I ... I realized I wasn't honest with you about the reasons why I believed you shouldn't go. I'm sorry about that."

"Luke, you don't need to apologize! Please. Like I said, this decision was my own. What you said didn't affect…" I quickly stated.

Luke cut me off. "Annabeth, no, _I do_. I want to be honest. I _need_ to be honest. I wasn't upfront and thorough with my feelings to you when we were dating. I meant it when I said I wanted to change and that starts by being a better, open friend," Luke took a deep breath and continued.

"Annabeth a lot of people, friends, family might have told you to take a chance at this contest. To not worry about trying something new. To just, _go for it._ Of course, I _want_ you to have that quality of being ambitious and trying new things. Follow what you want. That is what makes you you Annabeth. And what I admire, a lot…"

"But I've … I've taken chances before like you with big things. Not only with contests, sports. With … with people. Putting trust in them. And I was ... disappointed. _Hurt._ Again and again. For me, I'd rather not take a chance at something and risk failing and being hurt than hope upon that slim chance it might turn out for the best. You might call me weak for saying this and I … I am. I admit. But I'd rather be safe than confront that same pain again." Luke said. Luke had an almost visibly sore expression as if past demons were haunting him.

Finally, after a lengthy pause, Luke concluded. "Annabeth, I took you here because this place reminds me, a lot, why I consider you pretty special to me. Why I consider you a close friend. Even if we are not dating anymore, which I understand and I respect that fact and accept, I still care about you a lot. I don't want you to experience what I had before in the past. This pain I felt about taking a chance and having it explode, laugh almost, in my face. And I do _not_ want you to go through the same. I … I really hope you understand where I'm coming from with all this..." Luke ended as he went near me, placing a soft hand on my shoulders, his baby blue eyes peering at me.

For a while, my eyes teetered between the stone, hard ground and Luke's soft, inviting eyes, unsure of where to land them. I felt some apprehension being open to Luke, to his statement. We were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend. That part of our relationship was over.

I didn't know where to open that potential bridge again.

Yet, a simple but meaningful word caught on with me.

 _Care._

"I care about you a lot Annabeth. I don't want you to be hurt…"

 _Well, at least I don't leave people alone like you!_ Started to flash in my mind. My outburst at Percy. How alone I felt without him in a time that I needed it most.

I wanted to feel that someone, something in my life was beside me. _Someone cared for me._ And I did, believe Luke cared for me, a lot. Even with his faults while we were dating, I always knew that Luke did care for me at the end.

 _That's why I fell in love with Luke._

Like I fell deep, deep in love with Percy….

I gave in.

"Thanks, Luke. I appreciate what you said." I responded, smiling.

A look of relief appeared on Luke at my response. "T … thanks, Annabeth. I mean it. I've … I've been meaning to tell you all this for so long. And I wasn't sure how I should have gone about…"

I cut Luke off. "It's ok Luke. I appreciate your honesty, a lot. It's … it's nice knowing that someone has my back. And … and cares for me... " I responded.

Luke smiled. "Of course Annabeth. Of course. Anyways, we should _really_ be going. I could practically anticipate Charles chewing my a** out while waiting on the ticket line at AMC. I'll catch you this Monday!" he finally said.

"Um, Luke. Actually, I .. I want to ask you something." I interrupted, remembering my upcoming track meet that day.

Luke's eyes refocused back on me. "Yeah, Annabeth?"

"I … I have a track meet Monday. Same place, as usual, Chelsea Piers, 5 pm. You .. you think you'll be able to make it? I know I've done this meet a number of times in the past and you are probably busy but I ... I could really use your support..."

A soft beam emerged on Luke's face. "I do have some football meetings for the upcoming season I gotta go to beforehand. And I might be a little late coming. But definitely Annabeth! Definitely ..."

I smiled. "Ok. That's … that's awesome! I can't wait to see you there." I exclaimed. I suddenly went up to Luke and hugged him, a friend to friend hug. Luke was at first taken aback by my sudden gesture. However, he eased up and hugged me back. I felt warm on the inside at our hug.

 _I enjoyed this feeling. This reassurance that someone was going to be there for me._

Breaking off the hug, we headed out together. As we were walking though, I noticed a rather mischievous, Luke-esque grin emerge on his lips.

I addressed it.

"May I ask, what's the little ol' grin there Luke?"

"Well, just to be clear, this _is_ a date that we're planning on Monday right, Annabeth?" Luke teased.

I stared at Luke a bit. I couldn't help but chuckle and smirk at my ex-boyfriend's rather cocky assertion. "No, it's not. Just a good friend supporting another good friend in her track contest. Don't get ahead of yourself tough guy."

Luke laughed. "Alright, I won't. You're the smartie girl Beth. I can't get ANYTHING past you…"

I crossed my arms, finally reaching my tipping point with Luke's annoying nickname harangue. "I am _seriously_ going to judo throw you if you keep levying stupid nicknames at me."

"Ooo I'm _sooo_ scared Annie. Consider me warned."

I punched Luke hard on the shoulder as he laughed again. I eventually laughed as well and ran after Luke, my mood significantly more upbeat than before.

On the R train, the two of us were engaged in some spirited conversation, Luke trying to convince me how awesome Captain America was compared to Spiderman as we were headed to Union Square AMC (Seriously first Samantha now, Luke? How can people, _not_ like Tom Holland in the Marvel movies? Unbelievable….)

 _Everything was normal…_ I felt normal.

 _I wanted things to be normal._

 _I … I do have people who care about me in my life. Luke. My friends. Maybe … maybe I don't need Percy._

I'm fine.

However, I heard something else inside me. For once, it wasn't my overactive, over-analytical brain. My mind and thoughts, which always seemed to be sparring with itself on a nonstop, consistent basis like the Spartans and Athenians in the Peloponnesian War.

It was my heart. A little cry. A faint, distant but clear cry. It had been yearning for me to listen to it for the longest of times, wanting me to finally, for once, listen to what it wanted and needed.

 _And I've been ignoring it for so long..._

 _Yeah, but that person you want near you is Percy Annabeth._ And as the image of Percy's pained, bruised expression from our last call superseded my mind, his last words echoed and reverberated like a dark, overbearing thunderstorm, one that couldn't and wouldn't go away.

' _You know why I'm saying all this to you? Why I keep doing this? Because I care about you. A lot. F*cking a lot. Even more than myself maybe...'_

It was the only statement, thing, fact on this mortal world I could say with a 100 percent certainty was true.

 _Percy cares about you a lot Annabeth. And you care about him a lot. Your heart knows that._

Like your heart wanted you to go to that contest in California.

Your heart wants Percy here with you now, beside you.

 _Your heart loves Percy..._

* * *

 **Hey! Ok, Lukabeth looks like it is gaining traction. Gaaah alright don't shade me guys I'm evil I know :/. I would like to point out though I hope you all understand that Luke is not trying to be manipulative in his efforts to win back Annabeth. The remorse he feels is genuine and from the heart and his convo with her is a heartfelt one. I didn't want to make Luke an evil villain that is a common occurrence in many Percabeth ff's. I don't think it's true to nature to who Luke is as a character in the OG books and frankly, having a pure designated "villain" without showing their darker side isn't really cool for me. It also reinforces that Annabeth and Percy love each other because they truly love each other. Ugh, I felt myself want to sob when I read how Annabeth was ignoring her heart. Annabeth I can't! And I'm the writer of this story. I'm such a romance and angsty dork.**

 **Anyways,** _ **really**_ **hoped you liked this chapter. I don't know but this chapter felt super crappy to me and I had some major writer's block in trying to type this. But know your boy Friction is trying hard man :). Further, the 4th part, from our friends at Jupiter High School and Reyna and Percy's POV, will be released next week or two. I was planning on making their POVs all into one chap but I REALLY wanted to get something out quickly as it had been a while and I'm just dying to hear from you all again. I don't say this willy-nilly when I state that I miss y'all.**

 **I'll catch you all next week or two. See ya :)**

 **-Friction**

* * *

 **Review Responses (sorry if I didn't to all of yours. Of course, I read all of them and loved them. Especially Lilliana from my Just Friends one-shot. I always laugh when I reread your review dude :D. Stay awesome!)**

 **Trident of Olympus :** Thanks so much for this review! It warmed my heart so much. I don't think I'm worthy, at all, of comparison with Uncle Ricky and JK Rowling but for you to consider me along those superstars, hot diggity damn :DD. Thank you, man!

 **Chloeee:** Oooo crap, I should take cover lol. Sorry :/. Just a part of the story. They'll get together, promise. If not, you can send moi to Tartarus. I don't mind. I've had experience there before :D

 **Guest: **Thank you! And yes, definitely, I'm not planning on rushing the story. As first a reader and then writer, I would rather wait a long time for a chap rather than have the author rush the plot so don't worry, I won't :)

 **Penny: **Thank you for all your reviews Penny. As for the review thing, it is whatever, you know. I can't change that. Only thing I can do is keep writing and hope for the best. So thank you for your support :333

 **Guest: **Thank you for your review! I'm glad you consider this story as one of your top favorites. That's admirable you don't judge a story based on favs/reviews. A lot of people do that. Kudos! _fist pound_

 **xxyoloswagmaster:** First, interesting name dude lol :D. Second, thanks! The story isn't coming to an end. It just might take time to finish though since I am busy and it is dependent on how I feel about a chapter/at the moment. Don't apologize, it's ok you didn't review. Most people frankly don't even if they can lol and you are not obligated to do so. Reviews/favs/follows help though so I would appreciate it if you leave your boy a review from time to time :).

 **Lobous26:** Hey man, it's been a while. Hope you doing well! That's ok for the awol. School/college comes first obviously. Just happy you continue to read my story and thanks for all the praise. You too damn kind.

 **Booklover4lunachase:** I thank you for all your kind words Booklover:). Much love from Friction. Yeah, it happens a lot unfortunately to authors on fanfic, feeling a lack of support. I don't want to be one of those authors and I _will_ finish my story. I just need your support cause it is tough, especially school time, to find the time and motivation to write. So support helps!

Thank youuu again. Hope to be hearing from you soon! :)))

 **Habbu:**

This was most definitely my top favorite review out of all last chapter. It really touched me and I thank you so much for it Habbu! I think you are being way too flattering to say that my story is the best Percabeth story out of _all_ of ff. I've read gazillions of other MUCH better stories than mine but I am happy you consider this story awesome :DDD.

Really though, your bigger point about certain story gems on fanfic not getting enough praise, recognition is true. Not for my story but for a _ton_ on this site. It is unfortunate that is the reality and I've read amazing stories that have just stopped randomly, either cause the author became busy or they weren't being supported much by their readers. That's why it is SO important for us as readers to support all stories we follow/fav as much as possible. Regardless of whether it is on your top five list of fanfics or not, authors take so much time to write and we should be thankful for that! The harsh truth is that PJO fandom is kind of dying off now, which saddens me :(. So for those few stories gems that might remain, we have to do our best to keep them up!

I promise I will finish this story, even if it takes time. I hope you will stay with me during this journey, which admittedly is aggravating haha, me baaddd. But thank you again. I sound like a broken record player with all these thank yous, don't I? Sorry bad habit hehe :/

-Friction


	24. Chapter 21 Scared Part IV

**Chapter 21 Scared Part IV**

 _ **(Percy POV)**_

"Dude, Tammi and Kelli were _killer_ last night"

I gripped my can of Coke tightly, eyeing Matt and his group of friends in a combative manner across the lunchroom as they were discussing last night's semi-final volleyball game.

My Friday had been decent. I did pretty well in my Greek mythology presentation, alright on my Algebra 2 and Chemistry quiz, which was a change for once. In addition, this coming weekend and next week were a big holiday at Jupiter High, _Ludi Ceriales_. Ludi Ceriales was a week-long games-filled festival holiday which honored one of the ancient Roman gods, Ceres, per ancient Roman tradition. Now, anyone who knows me knows I don't care too much for ancient Roman god myths, or myths itself. I've taken enough Roman and Greek mythology classes and I'm always amazed at how dumb gods could act. However, anything with the word "game" in it gets an automatic yes from me. And this Friday night, the school was planning on transforming the gymnasium into an awesome, full-fledged arcade room, which I was stoked about. Nico himself was excited to finally share his Mythomagic obsession with the other students. I was willing to venture my half-brother Tyson didn't exactly feel the same excitement.

Yet the entire day and night, my mind was occupied with one sole thought.

 _Annabeth..._

A sharp, stinging pain cut through me as memories of my call with Annabeth flooded my head. I didn't get much sleep after I hung up. How could I? I could still picture in vivid detail Annabeth's angry expression. The heaviness and burden present in her tone and body language as she lashed out at me.

 _Her pain..._

One thing Annabeth said, in particular, refused to leave me.

 _"WELL, AT LEAST I DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THINGS! LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE LIKE YOU!"_

Gods, to see that pure hurt in Annabeth's innocent gray eyes like she had been stabbed in the arm by a poisoned dagger. It was _my_ fault. I felt responsible for that.

 _I ... I did leave Annabeth alone..._

Now with Matt and his friends continuing to act like idiots through lunch, I was _really_ close to turning Friday into a _make-Matt-shut-the-f*ck-up-day._

 _Least it would make me feel SOMEWHAT better..._

Matt casually shrugged at his friends, straightening his posture. "I know dude. That's my girl, Tammi."

"How you even hook up with a girl from Prep, huh?" Matt's friend Jimmy asked. "Get me on that, will ya?"

Matt smirked. "I mean, who the f*ck wouldn't want to fall for this guy. I got everything man. The whole package right here. UPS box this fragile, beautiful son of a b*tch. Free shipping included!" Matt joked as his friends laughed and high fived him.

Nico, who happened to be observing Matt's stupid antics alongside me, faked a vomit.

"If Matt continues self-aggrandize himself Percy, I'm seriously going to consider shadow traveling to his table and shoving a pomegranate into his loud mouth," Nico mumbled as he ripped apart a pomegranate, popping a seed into his mouth.

Will also commented. "Seriously. His friends are such kisses a**es. _Oh-Matt-can-you-please-fart-on-my-face. It smells SOOOO amazing._ "

"I'm not even sure why Matt is acting as if he played in the game. Just his freaking girlfriend. And Tammi and Kelli weren't exactly playing like a bunch of underworld devils..." Nico noted.

Tyson nodded. "Yes. Ella tell Tyson Tammi and Kelli shot efficiency _subpar._ Below 50. Anything less than 50 not good. Elsa very smart. Also, she smells like peanut butter cookies today. Tyson like cookies and peanut butter... "

Ella's cheeks began to glow bright red like her hair. She nudged Tyson. "Tyson, please. I was just listing off simple statistics from the game. Game. Ella can't wait to play pop a shot game with Tyson tonight." Though my mood was still bleak, a little smile cracked on my face as Tyson started to play strangle Ella, to her laughter and amusement. The rest of lunch, I continued to eat, trying to clear my head. However, my gaze remained fixated on Matt's table. It was pretty hard _not_ to ignore them considering how obnoxiously loud they were.

 _Why is it that the loudest and most obnoxious people are the most successful nowadays…._

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone enter the cafeteria.

It was Reyna.

Reyna was wearing her typical blue faded Levi jeans and dark purple Jupiter High School sweater. Her long, silky black hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, razor dark eyes the usual plain and expressionless gaze. Reyna had her hoodie slung over her head, drawstrings drawn all the way, as she slowly headed to our lunch table, usual lunch of Puerto Rican style arroz con pollo in her lunch bag.

Reyna _looked_ like her normal self. She was softly smiling at some of the kids as she passed them, portraying her usual calm and collected image. Reyna had some reserved pep and confidence to her stride, trying to project to everyone she was in control of things.

 _She was alright._

Yet, I knew it was all fake. An act. Though that thick hoodie hid her eyes, I could sense those orbs scanning and analyzing her environment, as if Reyna was waiting for someone, _something_ to bring up what happened yesterday night. I could sense some dread, Reyna trying to blend into her surroundings.

This was old Reyna reemerging again.

 _And I hated it..._

Matt noticed Reyna pass his table. The grin on his face enlarged.

"Hey hey, lookie here! It's the wonderful Rey of Sunshine! What an honor." Matt snickered as he stood up to face Reyna.

"Matt..." Reyna simply muttered, not turning to acknowledge him, as she continued to walk.

"What's with the down look girl? It's a Friday! The start of Ludi Ceriales is tonight. I really don't think you want to start off the holiday in a sour mood, do you?" Matt taunted, which got some bellowing laughs from his buddies.

"Oh yes. I nearly forget about that. Well, I look forward to engaging in some entertaining recreation while simultaneously avoiding your presence."

Matt faked a sad expression. "Aww. That stings. Hmm, you still salty about that big fat _L_ last night huh? It's ok I _totally_ understand." Matt declared, cutting right to the chase.

Reyna stopped dead in her tracks. She finally turned to face Matt, taking her hoodie off, putting her lunch bag on a nearby lunch table. I could now fully see Reyna's expression and her tan complexion. She had a stoic look, Reyna trying to appear unaffected and undeterred by Matt's statement.

However, it was a futile guise.

"No. Not at all."

Matt chuckled and smirked. "Of course you wouldn't admit that. Typical stubborn Reyna. My girlfriend Tammi was _balling_ last night. 5 kills."

"Well, I believe Ella told me Tammi's season average kill per game was 8 but that's comparable I suppose. And I would point out the end score was pretty close Matt. The game went down to the very wire."

"You can't accept the fact that Tammi and Kelli kicked your a**!"

"You win some, lose some, right? Tammi, Kelli, and the Georgetown Prep team played a better game. I accept that fact. Really though what I am concerned about is why you Matt, a student of Jupiter High School, would root for our rivals. I really question your loyalty. I hope that isn't a quality reflected by you as a boyfriend to Tammi." Reyna replied, casually throwing a diss at Matt in the end.

Nico, Will, Tyson and I burst out with laughter at Reyna's diss. There was also some laughter, though subtle, from Matt's friends. Though they tried to hide it from his view, Matt caught them.

 _Damn even when she's down, Reyna can still come at you with some shade, huh. Makes sense though. That girl is obsessed with Eminem. And he is the KING of disses..._

Matt's mood did a 360. "Shut up Reyna. I wouldn't be talking sh*t if I were you. You f*cked up last night, _remember._ "

The little smile that happened to be on Reyna's face for a momentary second, one that I enjoyed and wished could have remained, quickly faded."Matt…"

"I still can't believe you f*cking _blew_ it." Matt continued, ignoring her. "The ball was _right_ there for you to tip over the net and score. Extend the game. _Win the f*cking game for crying out loud!_ Of course, you _mess_ up. Not only the game. The whole damn season for your team." Matt viciously vented.

"I … I know. I acknowledge that I messed up on the play. I messed up our season. I'm … I'm the one to blame for my team's shortcomings. Things happen though. It was one of those weird plays…"

Matt let out a loud snort. " _One of those plays._ One of those plays that happened to be during the most important f*cking game of the season for you. There was a brief period I thought you would win. Of course, I was silly to ever assume that for a second. How do you choke _sooo_ badly Reyna…"

"Matt, CUT IT OUT," Clarisse interjected. Clarisse, who had been eyeing the exchange between Matt and Reyna alongside her volleyball teammates, stood up from her seat, her bullish, beady eyes meeting Matt's devilish dark. "Rey messed up. She did. Plain and simple. But Reyna played a hell of a game overall. She had a hell of a season. She happened to screw up on one play. It sucks that that one play occurred during an important time. But whatever. Just a game. Like Coach Mellie said, we'll come back next year and kick some Prep a** so tell ya girl she better watch her back Mattie boy." Clarisse barked. The Jupiter High volleyball team erupted in a loud cheer, though they were rather tepid. Reyna softly smiled at her teammates. I could see, though, her face muscles struggling to form a grin.

Like her actions were forced.

Sloan smirked. "Ares daughter talking about next year. _What a change_! I thought your kind actually gave a sh*t about winning."

Clarisse glared at Matt. "I could easily rip your head off from here with sheer willpower if I wanted to. Don't test me."

Sloan chuckled. "If you really want to rip on someone, how about your amazing teammate _misplay Rey..._

"Ok, that's it …" Clarisse shouted as she got up, about to sucker punch Matt.

"Clarisse, no!" Reyna intervened as she superseded herself between Clarisse and Matt at the last moment.

"Move Reyna!" Clarisse objected, trying to move Reyna aside.

"Clarisse. Don't." Reyna reiterated as she put her hands on Clarisse's shoulders, trying to settle her down. "Look, Matt is being annoying, yes. But I don't want you to get in trouble. He wants you to fight him, Clarisse. Your dad, as much of a fighter as he is, wouldn't be too proud of his daughter getting suspended from school due to some stupid incident. I'm fine. Besides, Matt … Matt is right. I messed up last night. The blame is all on me. I can take some mild jeering,"

Clarisse looked like she wanted to continue arguing. However, Reyna continued to softly and firmly plead with Clarisse. Eventually, Clarisse sighed and retreated back to her table. I also noticed a subtle acceptance of what Reyna said on Clarisse's part. As if Clarisse, and everyone, were relenting that Reyna did screw up the game.

And Reyna understood...

 _I hate seeing that..._

Matt took note of the whole ordeal. His smug, ugly expression returned full force.

"Hah. See even Clarisse knows you f*cked up."

"Reyna that's not true! As Coach said, we win and lose as a team. Matt, stop saying all this sh*t I swear to the gods..." Clarisse reiterated, about to get up again, being restrained by her teammates this time. Clarisse was almost starting to sound like a broken record player, repeating that line over and over again.

 _It's not your fault Reyna. It's not..._

Reyna didn't look back. Her inky eyes were as a dark as an abyss. "In any case, it's ok if you think that way, Clarisse. Teammates. I understand I screwed up. I'm fine with that reality. I'm … I'm fine. Now Matt, if you can please leave me alone and let me eat lunch with my other friends that would be splendid..." Reyna stated as she finally turned away from Matt, heading to our lunch table.

Matt suddenly laughed out loud. I was taken aback by how bitter and full of malice his laughter had.

"Friends? Oh ok. If you're referring to those dorks in the back then cool. I'm just surprised you HAVE friends still after last night…"

Reyna was about a foot away from our table, about to sit down and finally tune out Matt. However, she begrudgingly turned to him again. By the looks of it, she seemed affected by Matt's statement.

"Have ... have friends still? What are you talking about Matt?"

" _Friends._ Like anyone would still want to be friends with you after your utter embarrassment…"

"That's ... that's not true Matt. I have my friends. Will, Nico, Percy, Tyson. They're close to me. And my volleyball teammates…"

Matt snorted. "Hmph. I would reevaluate your relationships with them if I were you. And from what I heard you and Nico got into a full on verbal war in class. I would seriously question that term _close.._."

"Reyna, don't listen to that bs Matt is saying." Nico quickly interjected. "As you said, you're my sis, Reyna. I'm your bro. Matt, leave Reyna alone please..."

" _Oh your my sis Reyna..._ " Matt mocked, mimicking Nico's voice. "Aww, how sweet. I didn't know you could just claim anyone to be your sis and bro. Yo Jimmy, you my brotha from anotha motha right?" Matt jeered as Jimmy chuckled.

Nico's eyes turned a darkly black as he death stared Matt. "Reyna is my sister. Fact."

"Nico you don't need to keep defending me, please." Reyna intervened.

"Reyna no! I'm not going to let Matt continue to say all this sh*t. It's true. You're my sister. You know that!"

"Nico, you're being super sweet and I appreciate it. I know you are my close friend. And I'm highly thankful for that. But, Matt ... Matt is right. We're not close like twins or siblings. It's wrong to characterize our relationship in those terms. Or any of my friendships really. I ... I don't truly have a real sister or brother. Or anyone close to me..." Reyna declared. Her voice was almost inaudible at the end. Her words reminded me so much of my conversation with Reyna last night as I dropped her off at her house.

 _"A friend will care only as much as a friend can."_

And I really want more than that...

Nico looked like he wanted to continue arguing. Eventually, Reyna continuing to softly plead with him to relent, Nico begrudgingly relented.

"I'm still your friend Reyna. That's never going to change..."

Matt smirked as the exchange between Reyna and Nico ended. "Oh, my heart. How cute. Honestly, you're such a freaking loser Reyna..." he huffed as Matt started motioning his way to the middle of the lunchroom. He was dangerously getting close to Reyna, only steps away from her.

"Matt..."

"I can still remember the first day I met you in middle school. I was actually interested in you for a while. You were pretty attractive and cute. You had an admittedly feisty but fun, interesting personality. Guys like that in girls. But you were always by yourself though. You acted so awkwardly, always trying to fit in as best as you can. You try _so_ f*cking hard to act cool and like a normal kid. It's sad actually..."

"Matt can you not, please..." Reyna again repeated. This time, it was a genuine plea, the tone in Reyna's voice low and desperate.

"Honestly, I don't know where you would be without volleyball as your thing. Heck, I don't even think you would _have_ any friends. Maybe with people of your kind, dorks and losers. Makes sense now considering the gang you hang with daily. Even then that ain't going too well, huh?" Matt sneered. To Matt's back, his friends were laughing, though it was uncomfortable and subdued. Some of his friends were eyeing one another as if Matt's taunting was starting to go a bit too far.

"You're so f*cking lucky Reyna is restraining me from putting a permanent dent on your stupid face." Clarisse barked. Nico got up, clearly offended and reaching his tipping point with Matt. However, Will restrained his boyfriend, not wanting Nico to escalate the situation further. The whole lunch room now, which had been trying to ignore Matt's antics, started to glance towards our direction, noticing the debacle unfolding.

Matt showed no signs of slowing down. He was now very close to Reyna, his ugly, spite-filled eyes a mere foot away from hers. All Reyna could do was blankly stare back at Matt, at her surroundings, praying for this whole nonsense to go away. It was if the whole lunch room was turning against her like she was in a Roman senate hearing and being grilled by everyone.

Reyna was alone.

"You're such a loner Reyna. Always have been. I had actually planned on asking you out for Ludi Ceriales tonight weeks ago before I started going out with Tammi. Well, I'm so glad I didn't. Who would want to go out with you? By the looks of it, no one. I guess you'll be alone for tonight. As always..."

That seemed to be the final straw for Reyna. Her eyes, which were lifeless and pitch black as her mood, started to falter to nothingness. Her body expression crumbling as if she had just lost a battle. A little tear escaped her left eye, though Reyna quickly wiped it away, trying to maintain her strong look. However, I could see the wetness from the tear on her fingertips.

 _I could see the pure pain in Reyna's expression..._

I knew that look so painfully well. It was on Annabeth's face last night. As much as I tried so hard to shoo the memory away, Annabeth's last words leaked into my conscience again. Her bruised expression.

 _Her pain..._

 _"WELL, AT LEAST I DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THINGS! LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE LIKE YOU!"_

Reyna looked so lonely at the moment like Annabeth. Flashbacks from middle school started to hit me, Annabeth on the floor of her locker, hands buried in her face, trying to fight back her own tears and shoo me away as she was bullied by Nancy.

 _Just leave me alone Percy. Leave me alone..._

I didn't leave Annabeth alone. I didn't want to leave her alone. She needed someone who cared for her.

 _Like Annabeth needed someone who cared for her with her now ..._

And as Reyna was trying to fight back some more tears from dropping, I needed to show Reyna I was there for her. That I did care for her. I _wouldn't_ leave her alone.

 _Like ... like I left Annabeth alone..._

"Matt, leave Reyna alone!" I exclaimed, getting out of my lunch bench and confronting Matt.

Matt, whose pitiless eyes were dead focused on Reyna, turned to me, surprised.

"What?"

"Leave Reyna the f*ck alone. You heard me." I exclaimed as I moved to the middle of the lunch room, directly facing Matt.

Matt, overcoming his initial shock, chuckled and grinned as he noticed what was unfolding. "Oh. Lookie here. The knight in shining armor Percy Jackson coming to the rescue of his loser girlfriend Reyna Ramirez-Arrellano. Feels like a fanfiction in the making. Let me write a review of this story. Hmm, _lame as f*ck_..." which elicited some smirks from his friends.

"First off, Reyna doesn't need any saving dude. You are lucky Reyna has enough strength and patience to not knock you out to the pits of the underworld. Second, I wouldn't be talking sh*t about what a good boyfriend should act like. By week's end, you might have already moved on from Tammi. Knowing the kind of person you are, that's not out of the realm of possibility."

A bunch of ohs came from the lunchroom. Matt's friends had a mixture of reactions. Some stayed silent. Others couldn't help but ooh as well, glancing at Matt to see what his response would be.

A stone cold look replaced Matt's impish eyes. "Shut it, Jackson,"

"What happened to Rebecca, the girl from Roman mythology you used to date? I thought you two were a thing. You bragged to the whole school the whole time you two were together and how inseparable you were. It's possible you just randomly dumped her. It's also possible Rebecca wised up and saw through all your money and tacky cologne and realized how terrible a personality you possessed. Thinking about it more, the latter makes much more sense..."

Jimmy choked back a laugh. Matt looked at his friend, furious.

"Jimmy, what the f*ck?"

"I mean, Percy is kind of right dude. Still your friend Matt but, hey..." Jimmy admitted.

"Ugh, you f*cking idiots. Honestly, why are you defending Reyna anyway, huh Percy? You can do so much better. You're on the water polo team. You don't need to be with a girl like her. You shouldn't _want_ to be with her."

"That's where you are absolutely wrong Sloan..." I countered, nearing Matt. I was now about nose to nose with him.

Reyna suddenly grabbed me by my shoulder. Her eyes and expression had an almost scared, unconfident look to them. "Percy please, stop what you're doing. I'm ok. Please, just ... just leave me alone. Matt is right." Reyna pleaded. That got Matt to slyly grin again.

"Reyna no..." I insisted.

"Please, Percy stop..."

"Reyna. No, I'm not."

"Percy, I beg you..."

"Reyna, I'm not going to leave you!" I finally exclaimed, my tone loud and defiant. Reyna, as well as Matt and the cafeteria, stared at me, puzzled by my random outburst. Yet, like with Annabeth in middle school, I knew what I was doing.

 _I'm not going to leave you Annabeth._

I promise...

"I'm not going to leave you, Reyna, because I know who the real Reyna is. And the real Reyna is f*cking awesome to be around. She is really warm and sweet. Has a great sense of humor and personality. She's also strong and honest enough to understand her faults and admit them, which I admire so much. And Matt, you can most definitely f*ck off. Reyna doesn't deserve an a** like you. I'm happy you decided not to ask her out. It saves her from all the Mattie bullsh*t drama and heartbreak. She can do way better for a guy. She doesn't even _need_ a guy. Maybe someone should make a fanfic about you. The annoying, wannabe jock a**hole being owned by the awesome girl? That would definitely get a lot of favs."

Matt eyed me harshly, anger rising inside him, balling his fists as if he was about to punch me. However, I didn't relent one bit, challenging his stare, expression determined. The kids around us were whispering to one another, probably about Matt but more me. I caught Reyna from the corner of my eye, her expression in a confused tangle. She stole some glances at me, unsure of how to react.

Eventually, the school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Matt groaned out loud and waved me off.

"Ugh, whatever you freaking losers. I gotta get out of here. I guess _Preyna_ will be a thing for _Ludi Ceriales_ tonight, huh? F*cking wannabe jock a**hole. I'm not an a**hole, am I?" Matt muttered as he exited the cafeteria, accompanied by his friends who were all trying their best to calm Matt down. Matt was livid though, the lunchroom laughing, some jeering, at Matt.

Nico quickly went to me, worry on his face.

"Perce. You ok? Matt was acting like a freaking a**hole holy gods..."

"Yeah Nico, I'm fine," I quickly stated. However, my gaze remained fixated on Reyna, who was still in a daze at what unfolded in front of her. She was now sitting down on one of the lunch benches as if she was trying to collect her whirlpool of thoughts.

 _I need to talk to Reyna._

"Nico I'll meet you after school, ok? I need to talk to Reyna first.

"Yeah ... yeah of course dude. I'll see you later" Nico responded as Tyson, Nico, Will, and Ella quickly exited the lunchroom. Similarly, like the other kids, a look of fascination was present on their faces.

I didn't care one bit what they thought though as I approached Reyna, sitting down next to her. _I need to tell Reyna how I actually feel about her. I need to be honest..._

Like I wasn't with Annabeth for so long.

 _And still aren't..._

"Hey, Reyna. You alright?"

* * *

 _ **Boyfriend...**_

 **(Reyna POV)**

Hey, Reyna. You alright?"

I found myself in a literal and emotional corner at Matt's behest, surrounded, everyone around staring at Reyna like bystanders in a Colusseum fight. Time felt like it slowed to a painful halt for an excruciating moment, similar to when I tipped the ball out in last night's game. Yet, this felt even more harrowing, Morpheus becoming my enemy. I wanted to draw my hoodie down further and crawl inside it.

Eventually, I broke. The fake Reyna broke. A little but visible tear escaped my eye. I wanted to punch myself as I quickly wiped the tear away. Yet, more couldn't help but escape. Reyna Ramirez Arrellano never cried. She never cried about anything. Reyna is strong. She knows what she's doing.

 _Reyna is completely fine..._

I couldn't though. I couldn't. It was useless to pretend that I was ok for so long. I wasn't. Matt's words pierced through me so violently and deeply.

 _Who would want to go out with you? By the looks of it, no one. I guess you'll be alone tonight. As always..._

Alone.

 _Why couldn't someone just be there for me? My whole life, why couldn't there be one person by my side. Who cared for me like my sister..._

Why did I have to be alone...

Percy's green eyes continued to softly gaze at me with concern, his hands on my shoulder, beside me on my bench. For a while my mind was in a tangle, unaware of my surroundings or Percy, trying to process in its entirety what happened. What happened before felt like a blur, as weird as that was to say. I only recalled spare moments. Those moments, I remembered vividly though. All that Percy said about me.

 _The real Reyna is f*cking awesome to be around. She is really warm and sweet. Has a great sense of humor and personality._

I'm not leaving you alone Reyna...

 _Did Percy mean all those things? I ... I want them to mean something. For once, I wanted what someone told to me to actually be true..._

"Reyna, you alright?" Percy reiterated.

"What. Oh yeah. I'm ... I'm fine," I finally responded, getting back to reality.

"It's ok. Don't try to act tough. Matt was being a dickhead to you. "

"Percy I'm serious I'm..." I reiterated again, trying desperately to reestablish control of myself and my feelings in front of Percy. However, I had already failed.

Another stupid tear involuntarily escaped my eye.

"Ugh. I'm .. I'm so sorry Percy. This is really embarrassing. You shouldn't see me in this state. Just go now, please. It's better if you do." I stated, clearing my throat, wiping away the tear with the back of my hand.

"Reyna stop. As I said, I'm not leaving.." Percy responded.

"Percy I insist you do..."

"Reyna no." Percy finally said as he put a hand on my face, wiping one of the tears away on my cheeks. I sat there, stunned, at Percy's out of the blue gesture. I nervously looked around afraid someone would catch us. However, as Percy softly continued to wipe away some other tears and hair strands on my face, I allowed myself to ease up and let Percy finish. His hands felt so warm and comforting on the outside of me as I was shivering and beaten inside.

Our eyes locked gazes for a while after Percy finished, I unsure of what to say. A deafening silence took hold. Finally, Percy let out a sigh as he reached over to remove a final dark hair strand blocking my eyes.

"Gosh, you remind me so much of ... of myself Reyna. Of ... of a friend of mine. Always bottling up your feelings inside of you. I really hate seeing that..."

"Y ... yeah" I simply replied.

"Reyna, please. You need to stop playing and portraying this fake image of you to everyone. You need to let yourself be you. And you certainly need to stop acting like you're always tough and unaffected by things. Admitting that is not weak. It takes a lot of strength to admit that you need someone. I ... many people don't do that."

"But I ... I don't know who I am Percy. What if the person I am is what Matt told me. A loser. _Loner_. I myself wouldn't want to be friends with that version of Reyna. I'm ... I'm scared to know who that person is..."

"Well, he's f*cking wrong there." Percy angrily stated. I caught a look of his eyes. They looked dark green and visibly upset, which took me aback. Percy allowed himself a long moment to breathe before he spoke again."Reyna, when I first met you, I didn't see the tough, bada**, "cool" girl image you were projecting. Rather, I saw the person I became close friends with. And like a lot. The super warm, open, fun Reyna. The Reyna that isn't afraid about being honest about what she's feeling when she needs to be. Who is there for the people she's close with. What Matt said is absolute bullsh*t. Frankly, he had the hits for the wrong version of Reyna. You could say I've got the hits for the actual, better one."

I let out a chuckle, feeling elated a bit at Percy's humor, some warmth overtaking the coldness present inside me. "T ... thanks." I responded, smiling. One thing kept bothering me though.

 _Did Percy mean what he said about me before..._

"Percy." I suddenly stated. I felt some weird apprehension overtake me, nervously brushing some hair curls behind my ear. "Did ... did you mean all those things you said about me before? To ... to Matt? I know you were trying to make me feel better in that situation. It's ok if you bloviated some things you ... you truly felt about me..."

Percy cut me off quickly. "Not mean it? Reyna, of course, I meant every word I said. Why wouldn't I mean it? You're really fun to be around Rey. And you do have a super warm heart and personality that a lot of people would like. That's how I truly see you. It's no wonder Nico likes to call you his 'sister'. Honestly, thank the Fates Matt was so damn timid about asking you out. I guess he can only attract devil-like girls like Tammi." Percy joked.

I chuckled. "Yeah, you're right about that."

"Reyna, I know people haven't honest to you for so long. I ... I haven't been honest with people near me admittedly. But I did mean it last night when I said I do care for you. I might not be your bro or sibling but you're still my close friend. I'm not going to leave you. Promise."

I felt some hotness creeping on my face, though I attributed that to me wearing a sweater. "Thanks, Percy," I said. Trying to lighten the situation up, I then joked. "Just ... just don't keep saying all this super nice sh*t about me. Especially around the guys."

Percy laughed. "Oh don't worry, I won't. Unless I want my a** to be kicked. You're such a toughie girlie I know." Percy teased.

"Ugh shut up. You're lucky you're on my good side for now." I mumbled as Percy grinned. "Well, um, I ... I better get going now, Percy. I have a math class to get to. Seriously, thank you for everything. It means a lot to me. I'll see you tonight?" I asked as I gathered my lunch bag, standing up, about to head out.

"Actually, speaking of tonight Reyna, I want to ask if you wanted to come with me to the games?" Percy suddenly declared.

I stopped. I turned back to face Percy, puzzled.

"Come with you? You ... you mean you and I. Together?"

"Uh, yeah. I believe that's the definition of _come with me,_ am I wrong?"

"No, I ... I understand. But aren't ... aren't you going to hang out with the guys?"

Percy shrugged. "Nico is probably going to be busy all night with Mythomagic, to his boyfriend's annoyance. Tyson is going to play some pop a shot with Ella. And I really want to play some Pacman with someone. I can't think of a better person to play with than the girl who kicked Nico's butt in Madden..."

I laughed, though it was more of a giggle. I think some pink again crept on my cheeks, though I quickly adjusted my sweater to cover them. I think I failed though.

"Um o ... ok. Cool. That's ... that's great," I finally managed, going for an awkward head nod. "So um, you're ... you're going to pick me up I guess?" I stumbled.

Percy eyed me for a bit, confusion on his face. He then grinned. "Pick you up? You mean like a date? Oh ok there Reyna..."

I realized the possible misinterpretation of my statement. The pink on my cheeks turned four shades brighter. "No. No! No, I ... I didn't mean it like that! Ew, what the heck Percy?" I exclaimed as I punched him hard in the arm.

"Oh my gods, I'm JOKING. Sheesh." Percy defensively stated.

"You're so freaking weird! Obviously, I'm not asking that question in a DATE sort of sense. Seriously what the ... how could you ... what ... PERCY."

"Bae you really need to learn how to take a little teasing. Come on _chill..._ " Percy expressed, shaking his head in disapproval. I could see that terrible yet amazing smirk on his cemented on his face.

"Do you want me to beat you up? I'll beat you up right here. Heck, I'll beat you up in Pacman later tonight." I challenged, disgusted with Percy's usage of the term _bae._

Percy finally laughed. "I guess I better watch my back then, huh? Seriously, I'll meet you at your house around 7 pm with Tyson Reyna. That will give you plenty of time to dress up in something nice for me." Percy winked.

I crossed my arms. "Hmph. Well, I hope you wear something nice as well. Girls do like men who dress up in dress shirt and bowties, you know? I'd also gell up the hair. It currently looks like a dumpster fire big guy." A weird part of me, though, was hoping for that.

 _Seeing Percy in a dress shirt wouldn't hurt..._

"Noted. Alright, I gotta go. See ya later _boo?"_ Percy smiled, reaching out for a fist bump.

I rolled my eyes. My heart jumped a bit, though. Percy's smile was always cute. But now, it felt … handsome. "Ok. Definitely." Sort of instinctively, I leaned over to Percy and softly wrapped my arms around him, hugging him. Percy was taken aback by my sudden gesture. Normally, I wasn't one to be too open with affectionate actions, especially hugs. Nico was very much an eyewitness to that fact.

However, I didn't care at the moment as I hugged Percy. I felt my insides warm and churn. I also started to notice small details, like Percy's face dimples, which were quite endearing.

I didn't feel .. alone for once.

 _I liked that feeling..._

It also didn't hurt that I really liked hugging Percy a lot.

 _Percy hugs are really awesome. Honestly, a Percy sweater would be great. Brain stop thinking random dumb thoughts this moment._

After a long hug, Percy finally broke it.

"Well ok, then super huggie, fluffy girl. I have to go now. See you tonight at 7."

I rolled my eyes and smiled, though it was more of an idiotic grin. "Ok big guy with random dumb nicknames. I'll see you later." Percy chuckled and left. I found myself fixated on Percy as he slowly exited, replaying my whole convo with him. My heart still felt like it was jumping. I could still feel Percy's hug lingering on me, his soft hands on my cheeks. It was almost as if a part of me wanted Percy to hug me again, to feel his comforting hands on my cheek. For the first time, I started to view Percy in a different light.

 _More so ... in a loving sort of sense._

The rest of the school day breezed by quickly. I found myself looking up at the clock over and over, eager for school to end. More so, for 7 o clock to arrive. I still had an evident grin on my face, cheeks failing to return to their natural complexion. Nico had gone up to me in Roman ethics class during 7th period and asked if I was ok. I had replied with "totally fine Niks, what you talking about bro?", which looked even dumber in hindsight. Nico looked at me funny for the rest of the day.

I also texted some of my volleyball teammates, asking them for some date-like advice I could use for tonight, though I had to make it EXPLICABLY clear I wasn't going on a date with someone. Just out with a friend.

 _I mean, even if it's not a date, I still want to enjoy our time together with Percy, right? You don't want to screw it up. I don't want to screw it up..._

At the thought of date, Matt's little ship name he came up for Percy and me popped up in my head.

 _Preyna..._

I laughed out loud and shook my head as I was in my house, laying out a nice purple blouse and some faded blue jeans on my bed, texting Percy as I waited for him to pick me up for our "date" tonight.

 _Preyna. As much of an idiot as Matt is, I have to say it's not that bad of a ship name. Has a nice ring to it. I mean, if Percy was my boyfriend, which he's NOT and I have NO interest in that, Preyna wouldn't be a bad couple name..._

Percy wouldn't be a bad guy to be with...

For the first time, the once foreign thought of the word _boyfriend_ started to formalize in my head for real.

* * *

 **Hi. There we go. The end of this 4 parter, way longer than it should have looks like it's catching steam, along with Lukabeth. I'm evil I know. To be fair, Percy x Reyna ship is pretty freaking cute and honestly. The end scene felt very similar to Chapter 13, where Percy expressed his true feelings for Annabeth. And, like Annabeth, Reyna seems to have a big big thing for Percy.**

 **In addition, shoutout to one of my readers, ArtemisNewHunter, who semi predicted what would happen this chappie. Nice call :P. Maybe you should write this story. I'm an absolute idiot for this stuff hehe.**

A **nyways, I know this is super freaking late. Nearly the end of November darn. And it's been ages literally since I've spoken to some of my ff friends and responded to PMs. I'm sorry :(. I have a busy as heck schedule this semester and suffered from pure writer's block. This chapter was quite hard to write. Personally, I find writing Annabeth's point of view much easier and fun than other characters, which is why this story is Annabeth centric if you haven't noticed. And this chapter didn't feel all that great to me. Free though to review and tell me your thoughts. I'm always looking to heighten the quality of my writing.**

 **To make up for my prolonged absence, I've attached below a little preview of the next chapter upcoming. Yes yes, if you've read further below, it's a big chap. Thalia Grace. Pinecone Face. Super cool spiky haired girl in your school that could kick your a** without her even setting a finger on you.**

 **It's theeeeee Thalia Grace. To say I'm excited for her to finally be introduced is the understatement of the century, along with PJO is substantially better than Harry Potter (yes shade. Ya know it's true guys. Ok ok joke chill I'm not igniting that war again. I had to go back and edit my A/N after I realized I screwed up bigly writing this XD)**

 **I had this written out for months and am so stoked to finally introduce her. So enjoy this little treat of the upcoming chapter series Thalia, appropriately titled** ** _Thalia_** **.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 21 - Thalia Part I**_

 **New Girl**

 _"Thalia. Get ready. We're almost near the elementary school,"_

 _7-year-old Thalia Grace looked up from her iPod touch, letting out a grumble. It was a cool, clear Monday morning in downtown New York City. Thalia was in the back seat of her mother's, Beryl Grace, Ford Focus car, about to embark on her first day of elementary school. Thalia had her usual attire on, black, ripped jeans and a black San Francisco 49ers sweater jersey. Her spiky black hair was gelled and pointy._ _Thalia had her earbuds lodged firmly in her earlobes, some All American Rejects playing. Thalia was enthralled reading her latest book,_ _The City of Bones from the TMI series, trying to pass by the time._

 _Being it was her first day of first grade, Thalia should have been excited. Any 7-year old kid her age would have been._

 _However, Thalia's mood was as dark as her clothing. Her typically electric blue eyes were currently faded blue, its attention split between reading her book on her iPod touch and the outside, bustling NYC traffic. It took a while for Thalia to finally address her mom, dislodging one of her earbuds, her eyes shifting focus to the rearview mirror. However, Thalia made no attempt to hide her clear disappoint and disinterest._

 _"The school is still a block away mom," Thalia responded. "I have time still."_

 _"I know dear. But you should get ready still. Make sure you have your books and pencils..."_

 _"Mom I have all my sh*t with me already. We planned it out last night. I'll be ready when we get there, alright?."_

 _Beryl Grace peered at the rearview mirror. Normally, some strong cursing, especially from a 7-year-old, would elicit a harsh reprimanding. However, Beryl just sighed, more than used to this type of reaction from her only daughter in recent weeks. Beryl returned her focus to the road ahead, allowing a deafening silence to take hold in the car. However, Beryl turned to her daughter one more time._

" _Thalia. Your father Zeus called me this morning. He said he'll be available to call us late evening. Your brother Jason should be available as well, though only for a bit. He's meeting with his friends for a playdate afterward. I thought I'd let you know..."_

 _Thalia's eyes sullied at the mention of her father and brother. "Ok. Good to know." she simply replied. Beryl Grace only nodded her head, not saying anything further, focus returning to the traffic ahead. She could feel the immense animosity projecting from Thalia. Only a week ago Beryl Grace had separated from her partner, Zeus, in California leaving behind her young 5-year-old son Jason Grace. Thalia really wasn't the same afterward. As a big sister, she was extremely close to Jason and the two were as close as brother and sister could be. Thalia loved her brother._

 _A lot._

 _When Thalia heard the news that Zeus and her mother would separate and that Beryl would take custody of Thalia, Zeus Jason, Thalia was devastated. Thalia was quick to blame her mother and her obsessive drinking habit and mood swings for this whole mess. Jason meant a lot to Thalia._

 _FAMILY meant a lot to Thalia._

 _Still, a family member was a family member, albeit a sh*tty one. And Thalia begrudgingly moved to New York with her mother for an acting gig she accepted in fall._

 _A week in, that same initial inner anger and grudge refused to leave Thalia._

 _"Ok Thales. We arrived at your school's parking lot. Have fun." Beryl stated as the car veered into the school's front ground._

" _Mmm bye…" Thalia responded, already halfway out the car door. As her mother's car blasted down the street way, Thalia had a visceral urge to yell and throw a rock at it._

 _Suppressing those feelings down, Thalia slowly entered the playground lot of her elementary school, black sweater hoodie drew down over her head, trying to not bring attention to herself. Green Day - Welcome to Paradise was now playing on full volume in her earbuds, an ironically fitting choice of song for the spiky-haired girl's first day at school. Being the new kid in first grade was always tough. It was hard enough Thalia was being forced here against her will. It was even harder that Thalia wasn't too keen on making new friends, more interested rather in what time recess was and being able to shoot some hoops on the basketball court._

 _Thalia settled on a place in the far back of the school. For the while, Thalia laid against the school wall and continued to play with her iPod, trying to beat her latest high score of 70 on Flappy Birds. Thalia's eyes occasionally glanced up, taking some mild notice of the kids around her, playing on the slides and merry go round. However, nothing really caught her eye._

 _Out the corner of her eye though, a particular girl caught Thalia's attention. Just a few feet away from her._

 _It was a little blonde girl. Her blonde hair was long and curly. It currently was ruffled and scattered around her face, obscuring her expression. By the looks of it, she seemed to be around Thalia's age, maybe a little younger. She was sitting alone on one of the outside lunch benches at the far back of the school, away from the other kids like Thalia. She seemed intently focused on something in front of her as the girl had a pencil in hand, chewing a bit on the eraser end, in deep contemplation. Thalia couldn't tell but she presumed it was some sort of notebook or sketchbook the girl was working on it. By the looks of it, she had been sitting at the bench for quite a while, the girl very much consumed with her latest sketch she was concocting._

 _Thalia found herself observing the girl as she continued to sketch. Suddenly, the blonde girl looked up. For the first time, Thalia noticed her eyes. They were gray. A deep, inquisitive gray. And those gray eyes were staring at Thalia with interest and fascination, the girl noticing that she had never seen Thalia on the school grounds prior._

 _The two girls eyed each other for a while, Thalia trying to assess this new blonde girl and vice versa. Eventually, the girl flashed a shy, little smile at Thalia's direction._

 _Now, Thalia wasn't exactly one to be open about her feelings. More or less smile. Thalia had a rather strong distaste, if you will, of showing affection or any semblance of what would be considered human emotion. Thalia had lost count how many death stares she had given to random New Yorkers on the street smiling at the spiky-haired girl as she walked down the street. Yet, there was something different about this little blonde girl's shy smile as Thalia continued to analyze her. It felt warm and lively. Genuine. The girl looking like she was truly interested and happy to see a new fellow peer at her school._

 _Genuinity wasn't something Thalia was used to, especially from her mother. Though Thalia was young, she was sharp and smart enough to distinguish truth from bullsh*t._

 _And the girl's smile was genuinely true and warm._

 _And Thalia liked that._

 _Instinctively, Thalia started to smile back at the blonde girl, giving a little hello wave as well. Noticing that Thalia had taken note of her, the girl quickly turned her gaze away. She then timidly resumed back to sketching, not looking up again._

' _Hmm. She seems like a nice girl. Shy but nice,' Thalia thought._

 _Thalia resumed playing with her iPod again. However, she couldn't help but continue to steal glances at the mysterious girl on the bench, who was submerged in her sketchbook again. Eventually, the school bell rang. As Thalia was about to head in, she saw two elementary school boys go up to the girl. There were some snarls on their faces as they noticed the girl's sketches._

" _Annabeth, stop with your dumb drawings. It's time to head inside. Our class is starting." one of the boys teased, to his friend's amusement._

 _The 6-year-old girl looked up from her sketchbook. Her gray eyes paled at her friend's harsh critique._

" _Hey. They're … they're not dumb Dylan! I like to draw…"_

" _Yeah … yeah, Annabeth. Buildings are so boring. Why don't you draw something cooler like Superman or Batman instead of dorky buildings? A Batman drawing would be awesome!" the other kid, Tim, added._

 _Thalia could sense some hurt in the girl's expression at that statement. "But I like to draw buildings. Buildings are cool. Miss Smith said she thinks my drawings are cool."_

 _The boys shook their head. "Miss Smith says that to everyone about everything they do. Let's just go inside smartie. Miss Smith brought in chocolate chip cookies today and she's not going to hand them out unless everyone is in class on time. So you better get moving!"_

" _My drawings are not stupid. They're not..." the girl repeated but the boys were long inside. The girl's expression blued. The initial smile on her face from earlier quickly faded. The blonde girl apparently named Annabeth then got up and grabbed her belongings shoving her sketchbook deep inside her Empire State Building designed backpack roughly, as she headed into school. It was clear she was feeling frustrated and angered._

 _It took another ring of the bell for Thalia to get out of her daze. Eventually, she grabbed her own belongings and headed in, but not without her mind continuing to be occupied with the gray-eyed girl._

 _Who is that girl…_

" _Happy Monday friends! I hope you all had an awesome weekend." the first-grade teacher Miss Smith declared as she addressed the class. "And lookie here. We have a new friend joining us for the school year" as Thalia sat down in the front of the room with a group of other girls._

" _Do you mind if you introduce yourself to the class sweetie?" Miss Smith asked_

" _Um, ok. I'm Thalia. Thalia Grace."_

" _Nice to meet you, Thalia! I hope you have fun on your first day of school. Do you mind if you tell the class what you did over the weekend?"_

 _"Not much. I just played some basketball near my house, went out to eat pizza. I ... I moved to New York from California just a week ago. I'm still getting used to everything."_

"Oooh, t _hat sounds nice dear. I hope you're enjoying New York so far. Anyone else would like to volunteer and share with us what they did on their weekend?"_

" _I went with my friends to go see the new LEGO movie! It was awesome!" one kid said._

" _I played some Fortnite with my buddies. I got 2nd place!" another added._

 _"I went shopping at H and M with my mom. She brought me a really cool leather coat." two girls responded._

" _That all sounds great!" Miss Smith exclaimed. The teacher's eyes drifted to the far back of the class, where Annabeth happened to be. She was noticeably quiet and reticent, not engaging in the class discussion. She was again sitting alone at one of the activity tables, sketchbook out, though Annabeth looked considerably less interested in sketching. Her gray eyes seemed more brood than usual, her hand and pencil lightly grazing the paper in front of her._

" _And Annabeth?" Miss Smith softly asked._

 _Annabeth looked up. "Yes, Miss Smith?"_

" _How about you? Did you do anything fun over the weekend? Played with some of your friends from class?"_

" _No. I … I didn't. I just stayed at home, watched tv. I went to play at the swings near my house by myself this Sunday. But I mostly sketched some new buildings in my sketchbook. I finished my latest one on the Athenian Parthenon. That's all." In the front, Dylan and his friend let out a bored yawn, which got some kids to chuckle._

" _Dylan. Jimmy. Stop. That's mean!" Miss Smith exclaimed, frowning. Miss Smith looked at Annabeth again."Well, that sounds cool Annabeth! If you want to talk to me some more about your weekend dear, you can meet with me during recess time. I'll be glad to listen." Miss Smith smiled, trying for some optimism._

" _Ok…" was Annabeth's simply reply as she returned her focus to her sketchbook._

" _Um, ok. Now class, today we'll start off the morning with addition and subtraction problems we learned the week before. We have a lot of problems to do so what I will do to make this more fun and faster is that you'll be able to work with one other friend. There's 20 of you so don't worry if you're afraid of working alone. You'll have someone with you!" In the back, Annabeth's gray eyes scanned up, interest peeking at her teacher's statement._

" _Hi. You're Thalia right?" a girl then approached Thalia._

" _Oh hi," Thalia responded._

" _My name is Emily. Do you want to work on the math problems with me?"_

" _Yeah ok," Thalia answered, though her focus and eyes remained on Annabeth. The kids in the classroom all went to their buddies, some excited chatter and buzz in the air._

 _Annabeth finally closed her sketchbook and stood up from her desk. She started to look around, waiting for one of the kids to come to her. There was an optimistic, hopeful smile on the girl's face, gray eyes, previously brood, now as clear as the night sky. Annabeth patiently looked around the classroom, trying to find a friend to work with._

 _However, none of the kids went near her._

 _The girl's smile slowly started to fade as the minutes went by and no one came over. Her gray eyes began to dull again. The inevitable, harsh truth began to sink for little 6-year-old Annabeth._

 _No one wanted to work with her._

 _Again._

 _Annabeth started to sigh. She then went up to Miss Smith, hard expression on her face._

 _"Do you have someone to work with dear?" Miss Smith asked as she handed Annabeth the math sheet._

 _"No. I … I don't." Annabeth slowly answered._

 _Miss Smith looked at Annabeth with sympathy, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Annabeth, it's ok. Besides, you're really good at math problems! Maybe it's better you're working by yourself!"_

 _"I know. But I … I really want to work with someone." Annabeth responded, her large gray eyes assuming an almost pleading look to them._

 _"I understand dear..." Miss Smith answered. She then looked around the room. Her eyes widened as she saw one of her students, Ryan, working with two other students in the front._

 _"Ryan, hey dear! Come work with Annabeth." Miss Smith exclaimed._

 _Ryan turned to face Miss Smith. A horrified look appeared on his face, which puzzled Thalia._

" _I don't want to."_

" _Come on Ryan. I said that everyone has to work with one person. You're in a group of three!"_

" _I want to work with my friends though."_

" _Ryan you can hang out with your friends later. For now, please work with Annabeth. She doesn't have anyone to work with."_

 _"I don't want to though!"_

 _"Ryan…"_

 _Annabeth noticed the exchange between Ryan and Miss Smith. Her sad expression dampened even more._

 _"Ryan … Ryan doesn't want to work with me, Miss Smith." Annabeth stated. "It's ok. You shouldn't force him to work with me."_

 _Miss Smith looked at Annabeth, shaking her head. "Nonsense! Ryan, you will work with Annabeth and that's final."_

" _Ugh," he muttered as Ryan grabbed his math sheet, mumbling to himself as he walked towards Annabeth's area_

 _"Hi, Ryan." Annabeth started flashing Ryan a smile. "I'm Anna.."_

 _"I know. Let's just get this over with." Ryan muttered as he sat down, expression still annoyed._

 _"Um, okay then," Annabeth replied, letting out an awkward laugh, sitting down adjacent to Ryan. Annabeth immediately went to work on the math problems, while Ryan's face remained sour._

 _Thalia herself stated to work on the math problems. They were quite hard, 25 in total. Thalia glanced up at her peers, all of whom were struggling like Thalia. Annabeth, however, was breezing through the problems. Her pencil was like a skater on the ice, gliding over each math problem one by one._

 _'Damn she's also a really smart girl...'_

 _After a few minutes, Annabeth put her pencil done, smiling. "I'm done!" Annabeth declared. Annabeth then peered over at Ryan, who was still stead focus on his work, not making eye contact with Annabeth. Annabeth's eyes widened, noticing her buddy's multiple mistakes._

 _"Um. Ryan. That answer over there is wrong."_

 _"What?" Ryan asked, finally looking up._

 _"6 plus 4 doesn't equal 11. It equals 10."_

 _"Ugh," Ryan sighed, closing his eyes._

 _"That's the right answer though. Sorry."_

 _"Whatever," Ryan mumbled as he erased his answer, replacing it with 10._

 _"Oh. That's also wrong Ryan. 8 - 5 equals 3, not 2."_

 _"Seriously?" Ryan stated, looking flabbergasted._

 _"Yeah. Like Miss Smith taught us if you have 8 chocolate bars and someone takes away 5, you only have 3 left. Oh, I also think that answer over there is wrong as well..."_

 _"Ugh! Stop it Annabeth. Stop!" Ryan exclaimed, throwing his pencil down, annoyed with Annabeth's didacticism. "Stop acting like you know everything!"_

 _"But Ryan that's the right answer. I'm trying to help you get..."_

 _"I can't do this Annabeth. I'm sorry. I really want to work with my friends now. It's not fun doing work with you."_

 _"Ryan wait I didn't mean to...!" Annabeth yelled but Ryan was already out of his seat, heading back to the front. Annabeth closed her eyes, allowing another sigh to escape her. She went up to Miss Smith, handing in her math sheet, facial expression blank._

 _"Annabeth dear. don't feel sad! Ryan didn't mean that! I'll talk to him now."_

 _"I'm going to draw now Miss Smith ." Annabeth fiercely stated. Gritting her teeth, Annabeth went back to her seat, those large gray eyes of the girl now stormy. Annabeth's long blond hair covered most of her face but one could still sense the sadness emanating from them._

 _Thalia found herself staring at the blond girl the entire time, drawing, crayon pushing down hard on the table. She then turned over to her partner._

 _"Um, why is that girl working alone Emily?" Thalia asked._

 _"Oh. That girl? Annabeth? She's not. She has Miss Smith if she needs someone." Lisa replied._

 _"But Miss Smith helps everyone. I'm talking about with another kid. Why didn't Ryan want to work with Annabeth?"_

 _"Oh," Emily said as she put her pencil down. "It's just, Annabeth's a little weird Thalia. I would try to avoid her if I were you." Emily declared._

 _"Weird?" Thalia said. She started to laugh a bit, confused about Emily's notion. "What ... what do you mean weird?"_

 _"Annabeth is super smart. Like REALLY smart. So she acts like a know-it-all each time we work with her. She's not fun to learn with."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"So we don't really like being around her."_

 _"Annabeth seems nice though. I saw her in the playground sketching in her sketchbook this morning." Thalia responded._

 _Emily smirked. "Oh yeah her drawings. I guess they're cool. It's super weird though, just old Greek buildings."_

 _"It's not that weird..." Thalia slowly said._

 _"Let's just go and finish our math problems, ok Thalia? It's almost lunchtime and recess and I want to be the first one in the sandcastle!" Emily finally declared, putting an end to the Annabeth conversation._

 _"Yeah ok..." Thalia replied as her eyes veered back to her math problems. However, for the rest of the period and class lesson, Thalia again found herself looking at Annabeth, who seemed mired in her own world as she had her sketchbook out, completely zoned out of the class lesson. Annabeth wasn't drawing though. She was instead pressing her pencil hard into her book, looking more frustrated than earlier before._

 _"Why doesn't anyone want to work with me. Why does this always happen every time.." Thalia caught Annabeth muttering to herself as recess finally arrived, the kids storming out of the classroom to the playground._

 _'Who is that girl...'_

* * *

 **So there's the end of that little spoiler. Cliffhanger on top of a cliffhanger. An interesting start wouldn't you say. I seriously want to hug and pinch little Annabeth and Thalia. They're so cuteeeeee...**

 **Anyways, Happy late Thanksgiving. Just last year I was beginning to write "Just Friends" around this time. Holy cow or, er, turkey I guess? I'm so thankful for the fact that there are people out there who read my writing. I've met a lot of interesting people on fanfic, some of whom I'm happy to call friends. Other troll guest reviewers. Yeah, I see you, dudes. Sup :P. Also, thank you for putting up with annoying, aggravating as heck me for so long. Or at least** ** _try to._** **I know I was a b-word in putting my story on hiatus multiple times. I apologize for that guys seriously. I'm so happy that New Year's is almost upon us cause I'm ready to put behind all the dumb stuff and mistakes I made in 2018 and hopefully have a fresh new start.**

 **Lol anyways, much wuvvvv. See ya soon hopefully. I have upcoming essays and assignments, which is absolutely splendid. If I don't update two-three weeks from now I'll send an A/N chap updating my status. I think I'll do that from now on so people are informed on what the word in the Friction hood is. That is so cringy I'm going to leave it at that :D**

 **-Friction**


	25. Chapter 22 - Thalia Part I (continued)

**Hey.** **First, I want to thank guest reviewer Penny for her review the last chapter. She was the first one to review as well. I remember getting home from work really late Saturday night feeling super bummed I got a single review for the last chapter for the whole day. But your review was pretty awesome Penny. So much genuine thanks and love thank you! :) :333.**

 **I'll do some review responses at the end.**

 **Quick A/N before the chap. One reviewer pointed out Annabeth and Thalia, being 6 and 7 years old respectively, would have been in first grade and not pre-K as written previously. I had an "oh crap" moment when I realized that and I quickly went back to edit it to elementary school. I'm like the WORSE when it comes to messing up small details. Hehe :P**

 **Anyways enjoy! :)**

 **(A/N: Pardon me for any grammatical and sentence errors)**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 22- Thalia Part I (continued)_**

 _Monday afternoon finally came. The first-grade elementary kids rushed out of school, excited chatter in the air. The weather had warmed up quite a lot through the morning hours, the sun now shining brightly on the playground, a cool NYC breeze wafting through the area. The best part of the school day was upon the kids, the boys and girls hovering to their clique of friends._

 _Thalia, too, couldn't help but feel excited as she headed to the activity's closet in her classroom and brought out a basketball, spinning the ball on her fingertip, bouncing it up and down. Even if she wasn't ecstatic about her first day at school, every kid loved recess. It was a time to relax and be a kid. Be yourself._

 _To play and talk with your friends._

 _Thalia made her way to the basketball court and started to shoot some hoops, acing her first 4 shots. Thalia would have been the first to admit she was quite good at basketball. She was the only kid in first grade as far as she knew that played NBA 2k on her PS4. Oh and competitive? Thalia was definitely that too. The amount of smack talk she engaged in online play would have made any mere mortal mortified._

 _A few minutes had gone by, Thalia continuing to shoot. Emerging out of the school, a familiar face emerged._

 _Annabeth slowly walked outside, her left hand clasping a big, bulky novel she was reading at the moment,_ her _right-hand a Ziploc bag with some olives in it. Annabeth also was wearing a Yankees baseball cap, which Thalia never saw prior. The cap looked to be a typical Yankees cap that one would see across New York City. However, the cap appeared to hold major sentimentality to Annabeth as her cap was tightly clasped around the brim of her head, almost covering the little girl's gray eyes. Miss Smith was beside Annabeth, guiding her outside._

 _"Alright Annabeth, it was fun talking to you about your weekend. Now, try to go outside and play with the other kids, alright? I think Ryan, Emily, and everyone is at the sandbox making a sandcastle!"_

 _"I want to read my book though Miss Smith..." Annabeth retorted._

 _"Annabeth it's recess time! I know you love to read sweetie but you should also go play with some of your friends from class..."_

 _"I ... I don't want to. They ... they don't want to play with me..." Annabeth replied, shifting around nervously in her spot, her glum attitude from the beginning of the morning remaining._

 _Miss Smith reassuringly squeezed Annabeth's hand, using the other to brush away the blonde curls covering Annabeth's eyes, adjusting the girl's Yankees cap. "Annabeth that's not true. Just be nice to them and I'm more than sure all the kids would want to play with you. You know what? Why don't you read for the first half of recess time and then play with your friends in the second half! That sounds good?"_

 _"I'll ... I'll try." Annabeth finally relented, though her tone was less than confident._

 _"Ok. I'll see you later Annabeth." Miss Smith said she gave Annabeth a little hug and went back inside._

 _Back on the court, Thalia was now practicing her three-point shots, Annabeth in the far back quietly flipping through her book, eyes peering up on occasion to her peers in the sandbox and playground. Annabeth's Yankees cap acted as an invisibility cloak almost, Annabeth submersed in her little bubble. After a while, Thalia grew bored with basketball. Realizing she had a few minutes left before recess ended, Thalia decided to head to the sandbox to see what was up._

 _At the sandbox, the first-grade kids were halfway done with their sandcastle. The boys were scooping some sand into their buckets, trying to fortify the outdoor walls and towers of the sandcastle. The girls were decorating the exterior, using some plastic seashells, beads, and glitter from the classroom._

 _Ryan, who had been playing soccer with the other boys, came to the sandbox to join his friends. Dylan and Tim, noticing Ryan, snickered as he sat down._

 _"Hehe, Ryan is here. He had to have help from ANNABETH for math!" Dylan teased._

 _Ryan frowned. "Shut up Dylan. You know I don't like math. Gym_ _is much more fun of a subject..."_

 _Tim smirked. "Still Annabeth had to help you. You could've asked Miss Smith for help with these math problems..."_

 _Ryan's expression angered. "I didn't want her stupid help! Plus, it's not my fault Miss Smith forced me to work with Miss Super Freaking Smart..."_

 _"I mean Annabeth was just trying to help you out, Ryan. " Thalia interjected in the middle of the contentious conversation as she sat down in the sandbox. "She's really good at math. I think you should be thankful for that..."_

 _"Or maybe Annabeth was trying to show how dumb Ryan is. Either one works for me..." Dylan joked making Tim laugh. Ryan, annoyed, threw one of the plastic sea shells from the sandcastle at Dylan's direction._

 _"Ryan, Dylan hey! Don't ruin our castle!" Emily yelled, trying to stop the two boys from fighting. "Look, Ryan, we know you're not good at math. And maybe Annabeth didn't mean to make fun of us. But Annabeth ALWAYS does these sort of things whenever we play. I was building a LEGOs Star Wars ship and fortress once and Annabeth came over to play with me. She kept saying how there were multiple ways my spaceship could be improved. Who is she to say that!"_

 _"Annabeth isn't fun to play with..." Dylan, Tim, and Ryan agreed as the boys stopped their infighting._

 _"How can you say that though." Thalia protested. "Maybe you never gave Annabeth a chance to play with you all ..."_

 _"Ugh, can we stop talking about Annabeth Thalia. Let's finish this sandcastle. Thankfully, Annabeth is by the lunch table reading her book, as usual. So she won't bother us. Come on Thalia you can help us decorate!" Ryan said as he passed Thalia a shovel, the kids going back to work on their sandcastle._

 _Thalia wanted to refute her peer's assertions about Annabeth. However, the first-grade kids were now stead focused on their castle. Eventually, Thalia unwillingly went about helping her friends, though still uneasy._

 _A few minutes had gone by, the kids putting the finishing touches on the castle. Annabeth was still by herself reading. Yet, her large eyes remained fixated on the first-grade kids in the sandbox, giggling and having fun. Annabeth looked towards where her teacher Miss Smith had been, replaying her advice._

 _'You should go and play with everyone by the sandcastle Annabeth. Just say hi...'_

 _Eventually, little Annabeth gathered her confidence and stood up. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way to the sandbox, a quiet, hopeful optimism overtaking her. Even if deep down Annabeth knew her attempt would be futile, Annabeth couldn't help but remain optimistic. Optimism was a natural part of who this girl was._

 _"Um hi everyone..." Annabeth said, waving hello to all the kids as she reached the outskirts of the sandbox. Thalia was the first to look up. Noticing it was Annabeth, Thalia smiled, similar to in the morning._

 _The blonde girl looked at Thalia for a bit, as if she was surprised by Thalia's response. Annabeth wasn't used to an open display of amiability from her peers. Some nervous apprehension overtook the girl like during the morning. However, coming to terms that Thalia's smile and gesture were genuine, Annabeth softly smiled back. Annabeth opted for a little friendly hello wave back to Thalia, mouthing the words "hi"._

 _Thalia couldn't help but chuckle internally to herself._

 _'It's rather cute to see Annabeth get out of her shy bubble..."_

 _The first-grade kids, though, remained focused on their sandcastle. It took them a while before they acknowledged Annabeth. However, noticing it was her, they collectively grumbled. They resumed playing, ignoring her._

 _Thalia frowned. 'That's not a nice response...'_

 _Annabeth stood for a few minutes, eagerly waiting for her peers to acknowledge her. None of them did. Eventually, she repeated herself._

 _"Um, I said hi..."_

 _"What do you want Annabeth?" Ryan briskly asked, shooting Annabeth a fierce look._

 _"I just want to play with you," Annabeth replied. "Miss Smith said you all were at the sandbox making a sandcastle. Are you guys almost done?"_

 _"Hmph play? You mean to make fun of me like when we were doing math together?" Ryan asked, slamming his shovel down, looking at Annabeth angrily._

 _Annabeth's eyes widened at Ryan's claim. "What? N... no! I didn't mean to make fun of you. I was just helping you get the right answers, Ryan!"_

 _"Oh really, Emily interjected, rolling her eyes. "Like the time you kept being annoying when I was building my LEGOs..."_

 _"Or keep beating me in chess, checkers, and connect 4..." another kid chimed in._

 _"Hey whoa, guys..." Thalia awkwardly interjected. "Come on don't say that. Annabeth, everyone here didn't mean that..." Thalia continued, trying to defend Annabeth._

 _Ryan laughed. "Oh no I meant it. It's just who Annabeth is. Miss Kill-Joy..."_

 _"I'm ... I'm not that. I ... I didn't mean to make you all feel bad..." Annabeth replied, her expression slowly dipping to sadness. "I'm just good at doing those things and I was trying to help you all. Please guys, I really want to play with you all before recess ends..." Annabeth pleaded as she was about to sit down, trying to grab a loose shovel and join her friends. However, Emily snatched the shovel from Annabeth's hands to her shock._

 _"Annabeth, I'm sorry but I don't want to play with you. We don't want to play with you." Emily firmly declared._

 _"Yeah, Annabeth. It's not fun to play with you. Or be around you..." Ryan added._

 _"Go draw your weird buildings or something Miss Smartie. Don't you like doing that, right? Besides, we're almost done with the sandcastle. We don't need you ruining it." Dylan and Tim snorted._

 _Thalia was dead silent the entire time, unsure how to respond. Sympathy began to grow inside her as she watched Annabeth, her initial hopeful optimism all but gone and shattered, replaced with that dread Thalia hated to see. Annabeth looked on at the kids, her eyes, already stormy gray, moving to a dreary thunderstorm. The smile on her face, which Thalia enjoyed seeing, wiped away. A small tear began to form in Annabeth's right eye. However, Annabeth quickly wiped it away and turned around._

 _"O ... okay then," Annabeth slowly uttered in a low, murmured voice, trying to mask her pain. "I'll just go back to reading my book alone." as she went off, not looking back, the last sight of the girl her curly blond hair flowing behind her._

 _"Guys, what the hell? That was really mean! " Thalia yelled, angered, as Annabeth was out of sight._

 _"Thalia. Don't worry about it! Like I told you before, Annabeth's weird. It's better if you avoid her." Emily responded_

 _"But Annabeth was being nice though! She didn't mean to make fun of you. She apologized. Annabeth just wants to play with us!"_

 _Ryan smirked. "Then she's going to do the same thing over again. Annabeth's nice at being a smarty-pants and know-it-all."_

 _"She can't help it if she's good at those things Ryan! Don't you feel bad that Annabeth is by herself now reading her book?"_

 _Emily put a hand on Thalia. "Thalia, forget about Annabeth, ok? She always reads her book by herself each recess."_

 _"Books can get boring after a while though..."_

 _"Well, Annabeth likes books more than people so it's okay." Dylan joked, which elicited some laughs from the kids. "Come on! Let's finish this sand castle! Then I'll get to tear it down!" Dylan mischievously exclaimed as both the boys and girls yelled and laughed, trying to stop Dylan._

 _Thalia, however, wasn't interested in the sandcastle anymore. Instead, her blue eyes were fixated on Annabeth as she saw the blond girl back by the lunch table bench, alone, even farther away from the other kids. Her Yankees cap was covering the top portion of her face as if the girl wanted to disappear from the mortal world. Annabeth tried her best to refocus on her book, flipping through it, half nibbling on some olives. But every now and then Annabeth would peer up at the kids in the sandbox, slides, and swings, laughing and smiling, a wistful look forming in her eyes._

 _One that read 'I want to play with someone'._

 _I want a friend._

* * *

 _"Miss Smith, I want to go now."_

 _"Thalia, your mother called me. She wants to have a meeting with you and I at the main office. I can't let you go. I'm sorry."_

 _"I don't care Miss Smith. I want to go home now. It's a Friday!"_

 _"Honey, it's only going to be a quick 5-minute meeting discussing your first week in elementary school. Now just sit tight for a minute. Your mother will be here soon."_

 _Thalia let out an exasperated moan. The first week of elementary school had gone decently for the spiky-haired girl. Apart from the usual jitters, Thalia acclimated quite well to her new environment. Most of the kids were nice and friendly to Thalia._

 _However, Thalia wouldn't consider her classmates friends. Really, she wasn't interested in creating new connections. Friendship was a big deal to Thalia. You could say that Thalia viewed friends the same way she viewed family; near to her heart and almost sanctimonious. Thalia wanted a friend that cared a lot about her and she cared a lot for._

 _Being apart from her brother these past weeks, Thalia felt the friendship aspect of her life was on a prolonged hiatus._

 _"Thalia, I have another meeting to attend to first with ... another student. I'll be back soon. Just sit tight outside."_

 _Thalia exhaled. "Ok." she simply expressed as Miss Smith entered one of the cubicle rooms in the back. Miss Smith out of sight, Thalia kicked a nearby wooden desk, vexed._

 _'Can mom just leave me alone...' Thalia mused. 'Mom has never cared about me...'_

 _Collecting herself, Thalia begrudgingly waited, taking her iPod Touch out and reading some TMI. Even a book that awesome though couldn't quite quell the anger churning inside her. Eventually, Thalia grew bored. She decided to head to the table at the back of the main office to grab some water, walk around a bit, kill some time._

 _However, passing by the cubicle Miss Smith was in, Thalia heard her teacher speak out loud, along with what appeared to be a man's voice. Thalia couldn't make out who the people in the room were but one phrase caught her attention._

 _"Mr. Chase, I'd like to talk to you about Annabeth..."_

 _Inevitably, Thalia found herself overhearing the conversation._

 _"Your daughter is extremely intelligent. " Miss Smith started. "She's one of the brightest and smartest students I've ever had for elementary."_

 _Frederick Chase smiled. "I'm very happy to hear that."_

 _"Annabeth is a pleasure to have in my class. Though sometimes she is a bit shy to participate, when she does Annabeth always has the right answers and contributes very much to the class discussion. I'm also quite impressed and intrigued by her love of drawing and art. Annabeth is quite a fan of architecture, isn't she?"_

 _Frederick chuckled. "Yep. That's my Annabeth. I remember one Sunday night I had a chance to watch Extreme_ Makeover: _Home Edition with her and Annabeth kept commenting on how she would have designed the house much differently than the producers. 'Dad they should have used better lighting for the living room. I would have made the basement into a cool little fort...'"_

 _Miss Smith laughed. "That's really cute! However, it's not Annabeth's academics that I'm here to talk to you about..." Miss Smith stated, tone and attitude shifting._

 _Mr. Chase sensed Miss Smith's change in mood. His smile faded. "Is it, you know, what we discussed before..." Frederick started, looking behind at his 6 yr old daughter in the back. Annabeth was currently on her dad's phone, playing Trivia Crack. By the looks of it, Annabeth was on quite a roll, having answered the past 6 questions correctly._

 _Annabeth seemed zoned out of the conversation occurring in the room, to the relief of the two adults. However, the girl was cognizant and smart enough to understand that their discussion revolved around her._

 _Miss Smith slowly nodded. "Yes. Annabeth's friend issue."_

 _Mr. Chase sighed, straightening himself up in his chair. "Has my Annabeth made a friend yet?"_

 _"No. Unfortunately not. Annabeth routinely sits alone during lunch. Recess. Even for work that requires a buddy, Annabeth has trouble engaging with her peers. Annabeth attempted to work with one of my students, Ryan, during class on a math assignment. However, Ryan didn't want to work with her. All the kids it seems like are uneager to let Annabeth into their group of friends. It's quite concerning..."_

 _"Is it ... is it possible that Annabeth might be introverted? That she just might not like socializing? I have some friends of mine who work in psychology that have suggested some children, even as young as Annabeth, might not be as privy to socialization and prefer more solitary, alone time. Maybe that's it!" Mr. Chase quickly proposed._

 _"That's always a possibility Mr. Chase. Still, regardless of preference to socializing, every child needs at least one friend. A person to play and talk with."_

 _"I ... I know." Mr. Chase has a stressed look on his face as he again looked back at his daughter. "Gods Athena would have known what to do with Annabeth in this situation..." he declared in a low voice. "Ever since she was little, Annabeth always had a tough time making friends. And she doesn't have anyone at home to play with when I'm at work. I...I travel a lot, Miss Smith, being a university historian and lecturer, and I always find myself dreading the day I have to leave Annabeth by herself and with a babysitter. I just want Annabeth to have someone besides her. I... I..." Frederick spouted, closing his eyes, the burden of the situation overtaking him._

 _Miss Smith put an understanding hand on Frederick. "I know Mr. Chase. I know. I want the same for Annabeth. I wish she had a friend she could spend time with during break, recess, lunch, after school. Someone that truly cares for her. I've tried asking my students to spend more time with Annabeth. I don't know why she's having trouble finding a friend! Annabeth is nice, sweet, and ..."_

 _"They don't like me! It's as simple as that!" Annabeth suddenly exclaimed. Annabeth had been trying her best to ignore her dad and teacher's conversation. Yet, the little girl finally reached her apex, annoyed._

 _Even more, saddened..._

 _"They ... they don't like me! They think I'm a smartie, know-it-all. That I'm not fun to play with..."_

 _"Annabeth!" her dad exclaimed, bewildered, standing up and approaching his daughter. He quickly got on his knees and softly put his hands on Annabeth's hands, softly holding on to them. "Sweetie, don't say that! That's not true. Of course your classmates like you. And it's okay to be smart and take some pride in what you do."_

 _"It's true though dad! It's true! You heard what Miss Smith said. No one wanted to play with me last recess. Whenever I want to work or play with everyone, they always say no to me. All the time!" Annabeth frowned._

 _"Annabeth... that's ... that's not true..." Mr. Chase reiterated. However, knowing his daughter well, Frederick knew Annabeth wouldn't simply accept his assertion._

 _She was too smart for that..._

 _"Look, Annabeth.." Miss Smith declared, standing up. "I'm going to try to ask some of the kids to go and sit with you in class and lunch, ok? Starting this Monday. Don't be worried!"_

 _"I don't want that though! I don't want the kids to be forced to be my friend!" Annabeth yelled. "That's not true friendship!"_

 _"Annabeth calm down." Mr. Chase said. "Miss Smith is just trying to help. We all want to help you, that's all. We care for you!"_

 _"But I don't need help dad. I'm ... I'm okay! Why can't you see I'm okay?"_

 _"Annabeth you have to understand it's important to make friends. You do need one." Miss Smith continued, approaching Annabeth about to place a comforting hand on her shoulders. However, Annabeth swiped it away._

 _"I don't need a friend! I don't need one!"_

 _"Annabeth please understand we're just trying to help. We're just trying to ... Annabeth wait!" Annabeth suddenly stormed out of the office, roughly opening the door. Her gray eyes were full of anger, arms crossed. A vicious, uncharacteristic sneer was on the girl's face._

 _"Stupid friend! Why does dad and Miss Smith think I need one? I don't need a stupid friend!" Annabeth grumbled as she stomped out, about to head out into the main hallway. Thalia quickly ducked behind one of the office desks, not wanting Annabeth to notice her. Her blue eyes though remained focused on the blonde girl as Annabeth opened the front door, still angered, her dad and Miss Smith continuing to call her name out._

 _However, Annabeth stopped_ _ **.**_ _Slowly, the sneer began to fade away, replaced with that same despondent look Thalia was all too familiar with at this point. And as little Annabeth peered out the school window at all her classmates playing and enjoying themselves on the swings and playground without her on a Friday afternoon, she allowed Miss Smith's and her dad's words to formalize._

 _'You need to make a friend...'_

 _A little teardrop appeared in Annabeth's eyes, rolling down her cheeks. First one, then two, then a few more._

 _Hurt. Annabeth was feeling hurt._

 _"Why can't I make a friend in school? I just want to have ONE friend." Annabeth whispered, her voice burdened and full of sadness, as she wiped away the tears from her eyes and cheeks and finally exited the office._

 _Frederick Chase immediately walked out. He found his daughter briskly walking away, covering and forcing her eyes from shedding any more tears._

 _"Annabeth. Goodness come back here!" he exclaimed as he ran after her._

 _Miss Smith appeared herself, concerned and full of worry. Thalia slowly got out from behind the desk, still a bit dazed over what occurred._

 _"Oh, Thalia..." Miss Smith said, shaking her head, realizing she had another student to attend to. "I'm sorry about that."_

 _"It's ... it's ok Miss Smith," Thalia responded._

 _"Alright," Miss Smith declared, clearing her throat trying to act normal. "I believe your mother is around a minute away. You can come in my office here and wait. I have some Caprisun Fruit Punch if you want."_

 _Thalia slowly headed inside. Miss Smith, however, exited the main office and went after Mr. Chase trying to find Annabeth. Thalia tried to forget about the whole ordeal herself, sipping on a fruit punch pouch._

 _Annabeth's pained image, though, was cemented in her mind._

 _'You need to make a friend...'_

* * *

 _The start of the second week of school came quickly._

 _The weekend was rather uneventful for Thalia. Thalia didn't do much apart from the usual gaming on her PS4, reading her TMI book, as well as play basketball and ride her bike in nearby Central Park._

 _However, Thalia had gotten the chance to talk to her brother Jason for a bit Friday night, which she had been eager to for the whole week. It had been so long since Thalia had conversed with Jason. Opening up the Iris Messaging app on her iPod touch, the image of the blue-eyed, blonde hair kid slowly appeared on_ the screen.

 _"Hey! Sup little bro." Thalia started._

 _6-year-old Jason smiled, though he looked a little annoyed at the nickname. "Hey, Thalia! And ugh, why you have to use that name for me?"_

 _Thalia grinned. "Of course I have to. You're my little bro. As the big sister, I have the 'call my little bro little bro as many times as I want' card. As I haven't talked to you in forever, I will gladly abuse it now."_

 _Jason moaned. "Hmph. You haven't changed at all Pinecone Face." Jason joked as Thalia smirked and stuck her tongue out._

 _"So, what's up over there in California?" Thalia continued._

 _"The usual. School. Clubs. Also, Dad, my friends, and I are planning to go to the Lakers-Clippers game pretty soon. I'm so pumped! It's my first Lakers game as well!'_

 _"Really? That's awesome! I haven't gone to one of their games since I was 6. I ... I was actually hoping I would be able to go with you for your first one." Thalia said. There was a noticeable dip in Thalia's mood, Thalia not making much of an attempt to hide her disappointment._

 _Jason noticed. "Yeah, it ... it would have..." Jason observed his sister for a bit, staring at her blue eyes which seemed to transition to a misty, faded shade._

 _Jason sighed. "Thalia, are you still angry about the whole, you know..."_

 _"I'm ... I'm not Jason. What makes you think that..." Thalia lied. However, Thalia knew she couldn't bullsh*t to her brother. There was no point. Jason knew her too well._

 _"Ok. Maybe a little..."_

 _"Thalia, you can't keep holding a grudge against mommy for she and dad separating."_

 _"It IS mom's fault though!" Thalia declared. "It is! If she just ... if she just f*cking didn't turn dad off with her stupid actions. If mom was more open to dad about changing! I wouldn't be all the way here! We would still be together." Thalia continued, venting out her inner frustrations and pains she had been holding in for the past weeks._

 _Jason simply nodded, used to this harsh language from his sister. "I know Thalia. But that doesn't mean you can continue to harbor a grudge against mom. It happened already. It's dangerous to keep doing that..."_

 _"Well, I'm GOING to. F*ck mom man. F*ck her..."_

 _"Thalia, please calm down. Gods I hate seeing you like this. You always have had a hard time not being able to let go of things..." Jason pleaded, the little brother trying his best to act as the wise voice of reason to his older sibling._

 _"I ... I can't..." Thalia admitted, closing her eyes, letting out a burdened puff of breath. For a moment, conversation stalled between brother and sister, Thalia trying her best to collect herself, Jason unsure of how to calm her down._

 _Eventually, Jason asked. "Have you made some friends in New York Thalia?" Thalia hesitated for a bit. For a brief second her mind flashed back to the shy little blonde girl she met. Thalia had enjoyed the limited but pleasant interactions she had with Annabeth._

 _"No. No ... I haven't." Thalia then said._

 _"Thalia, you have to be open with other kids. I know you consider me your best friend and I'm still that but you gotta make new friends. I don't want me, dad, or mom from stopping you. Who knows, maybe you'll find a friend who's good at NBA 2k unlike me." Jason joked._

 _Thalia softly smiled. However, it was momentary. "I don't want a new friend though Jason. I want you to be here. You're my friend."_

 _"Thalia, please. Just try. If not for you, for me." Jason finally said. He looked up at the clock. "Shoot. I have to go now. Dad wants to go early to the Lakers game so he can get some free souvenirs. Typical weird Zeus. Alright, I'll talk to you next week."_

 _"Ok," Thalia simply mumbled, blowing away a black hair curl that happened to be covering her expressionless eyes. "I'll talk to you next week bro. Bye." as she closed the Iris-messaging app. On cue, Thalia's mother called out to Thalia, telling her that dinner was almost ready._

 _Thalia got up and quickly slammed shut her bedroom door, trying to shield off both her mother and outer world. Blasting on Guns N Roses - Patience, Thalia flopped herself on top of her bed, frustrated._

 _'Friend. I don't need a friend..."_

 _Monday then came. Thalia didn't get a car ride from her mother. Instead, she decided to take a subway to her elementary school in midtown. Beryl Grace objected to her young, 7-year-old daughter riding the NYC subway alone during a bustling morning commute. However, Thalia wanted no part of interacting with her mother. She was set on remaining in her solitary bubble._

 _Plus, this was Thalia. She was tough enough to handle the concrete jungle of New York City._

 _Arriving at elementary school, Thalia took her now familiar route to the far end of the playground. Passing by the outdoor lunch tables, Thalia expected to see the blonde girl at her usual secluded spot._

 _Annabeth was at a different location this morning though. She was on top of the outdoor playground, Annabeth laying flat on her stomach, her prized sketchbook and a box of Crayola markers and Twistable crayons out. Annabeth, as usual, was absorbed with her sketchbook and latest sketch, an illustration of the Empire State Building, one of her favorite architectural structures in NYC. All of the first-grade kids, though, were at the school's nearby baseball field, engaged in a spirited, early morning game of kickball. Annabeth didn't attempt to hide her interest in the game, taking note of her peer's loud laughter and cheering. However, Annabeth made no effort to go over and ask if she could join the kids._ _The little girl knew no one would want to play with her._

 _No one wanted to be her friend._

 _Thalia felt a little tug in her heart at that sight. Thalia began remembering back to Friday afternoon, seeing this little girl broken down. Still, Thalia wasn't in the mindset to form a new friendship. Thalia had her own inner monsters she was fighting._

 _'I don't need a friend. I don't need a new one... '_

 _Thalia settled on a spot near the hopscotch area. Putting her earbuds in, Thalia blasted on Rascal Flatts - I'm Moving On, the girl set on remaining in her inner bubble, similar to Annabeth._

 _Some loud, gossipy hatter from in front of her distracted Thalia. She looked up._

 _It was the popular, stereotypical preppy mean girls at elementary school, Kailey and Regina. You could tell that with the expensive clothing the girls were wearing, new iPhones they were way too old to own in their hands. The girls were around Grade 5 at the moment and acted like it, chatting obnoxiously loud, walking with an aura of confidence and attitude. They were approaching the playground, climbing up the ladder. Noticing who their non-invited guest in the place was, the girls grinned._

 _"Well. Look who's here." Kailey started as she reached the top of the playground._

 _Annabeth looked up. Noticing who it was, Annabeth's attention quickly went back to her sketchbook, trying to block out the annoying girls._

 _"Leave me alone," Annabeth mumbled._

 _Kailey laughed. "Oooo. The smartie is sticking up for herself. What a change..."_

 _Regina joined her friend in the teasing. "Wow, I'm even surprised Annabeth is up here. Aren't you usually by yourself in the back doing whatever."_

 _"Some ...some of the girls from my class are over there talking. I ... I don't wanna be there. I'm just trying to sketch up here guys. Why can't you two leave me alone and let me play by myself..."_

 _Kailey snorted. "Well, if you haven't realized, you're in OUR space smart-a**. NO ONE is allowed up here, especially in the morning."_

 _"It's everyone's playground though. Why ... why can't you share with me? I ... I don't have anywhere else to go..." Annabeth pleaded._

 _Regina faked a sad look. "Awww, how sad. Well, first Annabeth, the place you happen to be is OUR space. And like we take that REALLY seriously" Regina said using a jeering, mocking baby voice, making Kailey chuckle. "Secondly, you think we care? Be a loser somewhere else!"_

 _Annabeth frowned. "I'm just trying to draw! Miss Smith said the playground is open to everyone..."_

 _Kailey's eyes turned a darker shade. "So what. We're in fifth grade. Like we care what Miss Smith says. And what you're gonna tattle on us? Like you even have the COURAGE to do so..."_

 _"I ... I..." Annabeth started. However, the girl's shyness got the best of her again. Plus, little Annabeth understood the dynamics of the situation. Kailey and Regina were the popular girls at her school. Annabeth never was going to be accepted by them._

 _Much less, accepted by any of the other kids._

 _Annabeth was always going to be the lonely girl on the outside._

 _Regina and Kailey laughed, amused. They then approached Annabeth, getting dangerously close to her. "Exactly what we thought. So MOVE IT blonde girl." the two barked._

 _"Please. I want to draw. Look I'll ... I'll move somewhere else now, ok? Let ...let me gather my stuff first..." Annabeth squeaked, Annabeth trying to clumsily gather her crayons and markers into her box as fast as she could._

 _Kailey grinned. "Well, too late. We gave you a chance before..." she said as Kailey swooped down and grabbed Annabeth's still half open crayon box._

 _"No!"_

 _Kailey threw the crayon box off the playground. The box landed with a hard thud on the ground, the plastic box shattering on impact. Annabeth's crayons and markers sprawled messily across the ground, some of the crayons broken._

 _"No!" Annabeth cried out. "Those ... those were my new crayons..."_

 _"Oh, my bad?" Kailey sarcastically expressed. "Your crayon box happened to be in our space. So I had to ask it to kindly move." she snickered._

 _"S ... stop Kailey. Regina. S... stop." Annabeth stuttered as she was about to grab her sketchbook and bag, trying to desperately escape._

 _Regina noticed Annabeth's sketchbook._

 _Her smile enlarged._

 _"Oooo. What's that?" Regina grinned as she took a step forward, hands out._

 _Annabeth realized where Regina's eyes were landing. Her heart sank. "No. D... don't!" Annabeth yelled as she quickly brought the sketchbook near her chest, protecting it. Regina swooped in, forcing with all her will for Annabeth to relinquish her sketchbook._

 _"NO!"_

 _"Give that to me you stupid freaking twerp," Regina yelled as she tried prying the sketchbook away from the little girl. However, Annabeth refused, keeping her hands tightly clasped around it. It was if the sketchbook meant a lot to Annabeth._

 _Annabeth's sketchbook did mean a lot to her. It was the only thing the girl truly held near to her heart._

 _It was her only friend she had..._

 _"Give your dumb sketchbook to Regina Annabeth!" Kailey interjected._

 _"No! I won't! I won't let you ruin my sketchbook!" Annabeth declared back, the girl drawing a firm line on being pushed around. Thalia was surprised by how stoic and resistant Annabeth was, the shy girl coming out of her shell to protect her dearest possession._

 _Regina snorted, entertained by the girl's sudden display of tenacity. "You're so pathetic Annabeth. What other girl here would fight like her life depended on it over a sketchbook? Honestly, that stupid, dumb, useless sketchbook is the only freaking friend you have in this entire school. It makes perfect sense..."_

 _Annabeth continued to fight back against the two girls, trying to cling on to her sketchbook. Regina's words though, pierced through Annabeth so painfully. Annabeth looked around for anyone, anything to help her. Yet, the kids by the baseball field continued to play, oblivious to Annabeth. Annabeth's only companion at the moment was her inanimate sketchbook providing little resistance to Regina and Kailey._

 _Annabeth seemed to be on the verge of losing the only thing she had..._

 _The only friend she had..._

 _'Why can't I make a friend in school. I just want to have one friend...' Thalia found Annabeth whispering to herself._

 _Thalia knew that feeling all too well. It was what she felt when she learned that she would be separated from Jason. When she learned she would be losing a best friend she knew since she was young._

 _That hurt. That loneliness._

 _Observing this timid little blonde girl for the past week and now, Thalia felt a weird affinity to Annabeth despite their limited interactions. Thalia understood what the girl was feeling._

 _Knew painfully well what she was going through._

 _Although part of Thalia still wasn't ready to open up and make a new friend, a part of her hated seeing this girl being thrown around. That cared for her..._

 _That wanted to be Annabeth's friend..._

 _"Leave Annabeth alone!" Thalia exclaimed as she quickly climbed up the playground, confronting the two girls._

 _"Huh?" Regina and Kailey said._

 _"Ya heard me. Get your hands off Annabeth. Now." Thalia declared, cutting right to chase._

 _Regina smirked. "Oh. It's that new girl from first grade." Regina said, sighing. Regina quickly took her hands off Annabeth, who awkwardly tumbled down on the ground, hands still clasping her sketchbook. "Well since you're new at this school I'll let you off the hook. This area right here is permanently ours, ok? No one, especially first graders, is allowed..."_

 _"First, don't call me that! The name is Thalia girl. Second, I don't care. You two should leave Annabeth alone and ideally get the hell out of here." Thalia interjected, not wanting to hear any bs from Regina._

 _Kailey looked over at her friend, surprised by the spiky-haired girl's assertiveness. "Damn. A first grader with an attitude Regi. Lookie here..."_

 _"It's not attitude. It's called do what I say or else..."_

 _Kailey smiled. "I give this Thalia girl credit for having some courage to stand up to us. No other twerps do the same." Kailey noted. Kailey then walked up to Thalia, meeting her electric blue eyes. "Thalia, you're new here. I'll give you a pass for fronting us. I suggest you stop helping that blonde lose over there." Kailey said eyes hovering back to the shy blonde girl who was now quietly trying to smooth out some of the ruffled pages of her sketchbook._

 _"Don't call her that.." Thalia barked hard-eyed. "She has a name you know, Annabeth."_

 _"Whatever. Thalia, as the new girl you seem like a tough kid. You don't need to hang out with people like Annabeth at this school."_

 _Regina nodded her head in agreement. "Totally. As the saying goes, let losers continue to be losers..." Regina joked as Kailey laughed._

 _Thalia's eyes drifted back at the little girl, who seemed to shrink even smaller throughout this conversation. Annabeth didn't meet Thalia's eyes, as if she was expecting Thalia to cast her off and ignore her._

 _Like everyone else in the girl's life..._

 _'Why can't I make a friend in school...'_

 _Thalia balled her fists. "Look I don't know Annabeth, ok? I don't. But I feel like once I get to know her, I'll find out Annabeth is an awesome person to hang out with. No one ever gave her a true chance at ... at a friendship here. I'm...I'm going to. And frankly, the real losers over here are you two girls not allowing anyone to play at the playground."_

 _Kailey's initially chill attitude towards Thalia quickly dissipated. "What did you call us?"_

 _"Losers. L-O-S-E-R-S. You heard of that word before, right?"_

 _Kailey's expression angered. "Who the HELL are you to call us losers..."_

 _"What else can I call it? What are you two girls using with this place for anyways, huh? Trying to build a sh*tty MTV cribs hood..."_

 _"Hey!" Regina exclaimed, offended. "You ... you better watch it, new girl. I ... I can report you to the principal for saying that!"_

 _Thalia smirked, amused at the preppy girl's blatant display of hypocrisy. "In that case, try me," Thalia challenged, playing hardball back at the girls, crossing her arms._

 _The two girls stared at the spiky-haired girl for a while, Thalia not budging an inch. Those sharp, thunderbolt blue eyes. Lips curled in a confident, "come at me" smirk. An expression that read "I-f*cked-someone-up-in-NBA 2k-before-so-I-could-definitely-do-the-same-to-you"._

 _Yeah, the girls didn't want to mess with Thalia._

 _"Ugh, whatever. Go ... go screw yourself, Thalia..." Regina and Kailey stated, whimpering loudly, as they quickly climbed down the playground ladder and went off._

 _"That's right. Make sure you go as far away as possible. That lonely table at the back seems really nice now, huh?" Thalia taunted pouring more salt on the two girl's wounds. Thalia was rather amused at herself at the moment. However, her attention immediately reverted back to Annabeth, who was still down on the playground floor._

 _"Oh, my gods Annabeth are you alright?" Thalia exclaimed, a jolt of worry overtaking her, as she rushed up to Annabeth to help her up._

 _"Y... yeah. I ... I am" Annabeth stuttered. "T... thank you for that Thalia..." she replied._

 _"Yeah, no problem! Are you sure you're ok though? Gods, Regina and Kelly might have hurt you or something..." Thalia stated, feeling some anger inside her churn. The usually monotone girl was surprised by this sudden burst of worry and fear for a girl she barely knew._

 _"Yeah, I'm ... I'm ok Thalia. Please, I'm fine." Annabeth reiterated, forcing a smile. However, instinctively, little Annabeth quickly opened up her sketchbook again, reexamining all of her pages and sketches, making sure nothing was ruined as if her sketchbook were her child and she didn't want any harm on it._

 _"That sketchbook means a lot to you huh?" Thalia noted._

 _Annabeth's large gray eyes veered up at Thalia. "It .. it does. I had this sketchbook since I was 4. I love architecture a lot so my dad bought me a sketchbook so I could jot my ideas down. I started doodling and drawing anything I found around me, buildings, museums, the subway. I ... I love this book a lot. Whenever I'm feeling sad or down, I ...I open up my sketchbook and start drawing. I ... I don't know what I would have done if Regina and Kelly ruined my sketch..." Annabeth suddenly stopped midway. The young girl began to feel the burden of what could have happened. Unwillingly, a little tear escaped Annabeth's eyes._

The tear splashed right one of Annabeth's sketches, making a visible watermark on the page.

"Awww. Are ... are you crying Annabeth?" Thalia asked.

"N... no, I'm not!" Annabeth stuttered, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tear, hiding it from Thalia's view. "I'm ... it's ... gods I'm sorry Thalia. I'm so stupid. Crying over a dumb sketchbook. Just ... just ignore me please..."

"Hey, don't say that Annabeth," Thalia softly responded. Thalia's mind started to remember back to her conversation with Jason, the advice he gave her.

 _'I hate seeing you like this Thalia. You need to know how to let go out of things..."_

 _"It's ... it's ok Annabeth to let out what you're feeling sometimes. Even if it's crying, it's bad to keep that ugly feeling inside of you. Those two mean girls almost ruined your sketchbook. I would have been super upset as well."_

 _"It's so dumb though. It's ... it's such a weird, wimpy thing to do. I ... I..."_

 _"Annabeth, don't say that." Thalia firmly declared. Annabeth looked up at Thalia. The little girl was surprised by the seriousness of her expression. Thalia was as well._

 _"Annabeth, if ... if you love something a lot, you'll want to do everything in your power to protect it. You would be devastated if that per... thing you love was suddenly taken away from you." Thalia said. At the same time, an image of Jason appeared in her mind._

 _"It's natural to feel sad about it. It's a really sweet quality honestly..."_

 _Little Annabeth still had a hesitant expression on her face. However, Thalia continuing to softly smile at Annabeth, the blonde girl slowly started to smile, realizing that Thalia was being genuine to her._

 _Like Thalia, Annabeth wasn't used to that in her life. Genuineness from people._

 _"T ... thanks, Thalia." Annabeth said. Annabeth looked over at the nearby swings, now vacated. "I'm ... I'm gonna by the swings now Thalia. Maybe read my book for a bit. T... thank you for everything. " Annabeth stated, the girl going back to her reserved, shy self._

 _"Yeah, no problem. Here, I'll help you get your stuff." Thalia stated as she got up, grabbing Annabeth's belongings, her crayon and marker box on the ground, putting them in her bookbag._

 _However, as Thalia opened up the little girl's bag, she noticed one big thing. Her eyes widened._

 _It was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban._

 _'No. Freaking. Way..."_

 _"No way," Thalia exclaimed, dumbfounded. "Is ... is this Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?"_

 _"Um, y...yeah. Yeah, yeah it is." Annabeth replied, the little girl confused where this conversation was headed._

 _Thalia's lips broke into a massive grin. "No. Freaking Way! I love Harry Potter!"_

 _Annabeth's gray eyes peeked with interest. "R...really?"_

 _Thalia laughed, the inner fangirl in her coming out. "Yeah! I started reading the series when I was 6 and I absolutely fell in love with it. The first Harry Potter book I ever read was actually this one. Best book for me bar none!"_

 _"That's ... that's my favorite book too!" Annabeth exclaimed. A grin formed on the shy girl's face, though Annabeth attempted to suppress her excitement. "I read the whole series a while back too but I wanted to reread it for the 5th time in a row. There's actually a bunch of book series I'm planning on rereading and starting! That's ... that's awesome you love HP!"_

 _"I mean who freaking wouldn't. Sirius Black was such a cool character. And of course who doesn't love big_ ol _' Hagrid!"_

 _Annabeth giggled out loud. Thalia smiled at Annabeth's laugh. After seeing her broken down just moments ago, seeing Annabeth laugh was heartwarming. Her laugh was super lively and cute. "I know! What ... what house do you identify with if I may ask?"_

 _Thalia grinned. "Oh Slytherin all the way for sure."_

 _Annabeth frowned. " What. No. W...why?"_

 _"Um cause that house it TOTALLY awesome. Duh."_

 _"Smh. How can you be a Slytherin! I'm a Ravenclaw all the way. Best house PERIOD!" Annabeth declared crossing her arms, some specks of confidence and certainty creeping up in her tone._

 _"Well ok then," Thalia stated, taken aback by the girl's shift in attitude. However, Thalia grinned. Seeing Annabeth confident was a welcome sight after seeing her be so reclusive for too long._

 _"Seriously, Slytherin for the W!" Thalia continued._

 _"Oh, no way. I'm a Ravenclaw through and through. Actually, my ... my dad keeps telling me I could be part Hufflepuff. But that is_ sooo _not true. I'm NOT a Hufflepuff, right?" Annabeth pouted_

 _Thalia chuckled. "I mean, I could see where your dad got that impression,"_

 _Annabeth had a bewildered expression. "What? How!"_

 _"You are carrying around a big Harry Potter around the elementary school. You are also wearing an oversized Yankees cap. That's really cute honestly! Such a Ravenclaw thing to..."_

 _"Ugh stop." Annabeth moaned._

 _"I'm just saying! Prove me then you're not at LEAST part Hufflepuff..."_

 _"Well, I ... I... that's..." Annabeth started, trying for a comeback. For once the smart girl was at a lost for words._

 _Thalia grinned, realizing she had won. "Hehe. Told you!" she teased._

 _Annabeth grumbled. "Hmph. As a Slytherin, you're enjoying all this aren't you." Annabeth mumbled._

 _"Can't say I'm not..." Thalia admitted, making Annabeth moan. Yet seeing Thalia laugh, a little smile broke on the blonde girl's lips, realizing Thalia was joking. Teasing her._

 _A friend teasing another a friend..._

 _"Ugh, I hate you," Annabeth exclaimed as she punched Thalia in her arm._

 _"Hey what the hell," Thalia exclaimed. However, Annabeth giggled, she now sticking her tongue out, amused. Thalia couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head at Annabeth, amused._

 _Slowly but surely Thalia was starting to break through her inner monsters..._

"Annabeth gods I need to ask. Have you read the TMI series yet?" Thalia asked.

 _"No. Way I'm planning on reading that next!" Annabeth exclaimed, ecstatic._

 _"Yessss. Ahhh oh, my gods Annabeth. This is awesome! Girl why didn't you tell me you were like a fangirl from before. Sheesh!" Thalia joked as Annabeth chuckled._

 _"I mean I..." Annabeth started. The two girls were suddenly interrupted by their first-grade classmates, calling Thalia's name out from the nearby merry go round._

 _"Thalia that was so freaking cool what you did!" Emily declared as she approached Annabeth and Thalia. "We saw what you did to Regina and Kailey. That was awesome!"_

 _"Oh. Uh, thanks." Thalia awkwardly replied._

 _Ryan was smiling as well. "Regina and Kailey would always hog the playground every morning. No one ever stood up to them. Not even Dylan here.." Ryan joked._

 _Dylan flashed Ryan a side eye. "Shut up Ryan. I could've if I wanted to..." he muttered as Tim and Ryan sneered._

 _"Guys, it was no big deal really," Thalia responded. A part of her really wanted to get back to talking with Annabeth._

 _"Actually, Thalia, we wanted to ask if you could join us for our kickball game? Miss Smith gave us some extra play time before class starts and we really want you to play with us!"_

 _"Yeah! Come join us. I'm going to hit a home run. That will shut up Ryan for once..." Dylan exclaimed as he ran off to the field, the rest of the kids following._

 _"Oh..." Annabeth softly said. The little girl had been noticeably quiet the entire time, reverting back to her reclusive self. A familiar sad look appeared on Annabeth's face, realizing that her newly found friend would be leaving her._

 _"You … you can go play kickball with the other kids Thalia. It's okay! I'll just be by the swings by myself reading my book. It was nice meeting you." Annabeth said smiling, putting on a veneer that everything was alright. However, the girl's sadness inevitably seeped through her mask, Annabeth accepting that she would get back to her solitary, lonely bubble._

 _Thalia started to get angry. She hated seeing this girl sad. The image of Annabeth from before and Friday flashed through her mind._

 _'Why can't I make one friend in school? I just want to have one friend…'_

 _Thalia enjoyed talking and being around Annabeth. Thalia could hear in her head Jason's voice telling Thalia to go for it. Make a new friend._

 _'Thalia, you need to make a new friend. You need a friend...'_

 _It also didn't hurt Annabeth had pretty dope tastes in books and fandom._

 _That was a pretty cool friend in Thalia's eyes._

 _"No, I'm going to play with you Annabeth." Thalia firmly stated._

 _"What?"_

 _"I'm going to play with you Annabeth. You're ... you're my friend."_

 _"You ... you mean it?" Annabeth asked, disbelief present._

 _"Why wouldn't I mean it? You're really fun to be with Annabeth. Plus, I want to go play on the swings too. Of course, I'll need someone to help push me. I think I know a certain Hufflepuff here that would be willing to do that..." Thalia teased._

 _Annabeth giggled again. Thalia warmed at the sight. The girl's laugh was starting to grow on he_ ** _r._**

 _"I'm seriously going to cast a Riddikulus spell on you Thalia if you don't shut up about that Hufflepuff nonsense," Annabeth stated._

 _"Well, first you have to catch me! Running is one of my special skills as a Slytherin, ya know?" Thalia grinned as she ran off towards the swings, leaving behind Annabeth, who was shaking her head._

 _"Ugh, Thalia!" Annabeth yelled. The girl shook her head. She was getting used to these type of fun shenanigans by her friend. Little Annabeth then chuckled as she grabbed her books and belonging, about to head to the swings._

 _However, something dawned on the little blonde girl at the moment. For the first time ever, Annabeth finally made a friend in school. It wasn't through an act of any Harry Potter spells. Not the doing of the mist or a godly force._

 _Annabeth had made a real friend._

 _"Friend. I … I have a friend now." Annabeth uttered, almost in disbelief in that statement. It took the sound of Thalia calling out Annabeth's name repeatedly for the girl to get out of her little daze. Finally comprehending that indeed she had made a friend, a big smile broke out on her face as Annabeth ran off after Thalia._

 _For once, Annabeth didn't look back..._

* * *

 **There we go! Awww Thalia YES! You go girl helping wittle ol Annabeth. My heartttttt ahhhhh. I loved writing this chapter a lot if you can't tell. Thalia and Annabeth are friendship goals literally.**

 **Um anyways, I really hope I didn't screw up any** ** _Harry Potter_** **references I made at the end. It's been so long since I've read that series. I remember reading half of** ** _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_** **while waiting for a check-up at the nurse when I was in 4th, 5th grade. I'm unashamed of my dorkiness though and it was a damn good series. In comparison to PJO, Harry Potter has a better plot and character development in my opinion, especially Harry's development. But PJO has a richer environment and multiple, fascinating primary and secondary characters. Also, Percabeth is MY top ship. Feel free to comment below. As for TMI, I still need to get on that bandwagon, unfortunately. But hope you all appreciated these fandom references. Thalia is such a fangirl isn't she XD.**

 **Anyways, I plan on releasing one more chapter prior to 2018 concluding. So keep an eye out around near the end of December. I've got a second storm of exams lurking around the corner, starting Tuesday next week. With that, wish me luck :)**

 **-Love Friction**

* * *

 _ **Review Responses (Some from the last chapter):**_

 **Percabeth824:** Hey! First, Thanks so so much for all your support throughout the story's up and downs really I can't thank you enough. My nonexistent heart is so touched hehe :D. I hoped you like the latest chap.

Everyone reading this should definitely check out Percabeth824's "100 Days of Summer" story if ya haven't already. Being that it's winter at the moment, I think we're all looking forward to summer honestly.

 **PersonofIntrest:** Well I'm back and hopefully here to stay. Honestly, I've become rather numb to the whole review and views game it is what it is. Hopefully, you're still reading "Just Friends" and I haven't turned you off. Sorry if I did.

 **Booklover4lunachase:** Thank you! Awww, I get it with Percy x Reyna. I'm a Percabeth shipper like you. In my eyes, Percy and Reyna are really good friends who do care for each other a lot. I promise Reyna will have a happy conclusion in the story.

 **TheOneThatSitsAndLISTENS:** Thank for your comment! These upcoming chapters will provide insight into why Annabeth is so stubborn about her feelings for Percy. As for being a little drawn out, I'm a sucker slow burn romance dramas so I guess that explains this story hehe.

 **KingsofHeroesGilgamesh:** Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed that one-shot. That was so much fun to make. Contrary to possible popular opinion, I do like Percabeth fluff :D.

 **Lobous26:** Dude it's been a MINUTE since I've seen ya. Hope everything is good and ya doing great! Feel free to PM if you just want to chat about anything, especially politics lol.

 **CrypticcLuna:** Thank you :). I hope you're intrigued by the direction this story is heading in. I've tried uploading on Wattpad once but there's not a lot of traffic there unfortunately

 **Mario and BFDI Bros:** Sup dude! Thanks for the review. As insightful as always. As for your point on Thalia and Annabeth's relationship, I can assure you it's not one of love love but more so love in a sense of a family, kinship type similar to in the books. You'll see how their relationship progresses in the coming chapters :)

 **Wizard:** Hey mate. I'm glad to know I didn't let you down initially. I'm back though so I'm making a vow that I'll finish the story for sure, no matter how long it takes. I surely hope that these last two chaps were entertaining.

 **xxyoloswagmaster:** Thank you for your kind review. I'm not quitting the story. It's just hard sometimes to work on a chapter for hours and then feel like not that many people are tuning in. I'm getting through it though so yeah.

 **AvidPJOfan:** Don't worry. You'll be seeing our beloved characters from both Jupiter High and CHB High School. I'll try my best to include all of them. As for Annabeth's stubbornness, I believe these coming chapters will provide insight into why Annabeth is so stubborn about her feelings for Percy. As for Thalia well, just stay tuned ;)

 **Callino56:** Awww haha I knew what you meant :). Trust me they'll get together...

 **Guest:** Those words are much appreciated. I will finish the story as I do feel an obligation to finish this fanfic on behalf of both my readers and myself. I hope you remain with me on this journey for the long haul :).

 **Athenian-Ravenclaw-In-a-TARDIS:** Haha I'm so sorry. I hope you understand I joke a lot but sometimes I go overboard XD. I did love Harry Potter when I was younger. My preference for best series is PJO but everyone is entitled to their opinion and Harry Potter obviously has its own resume and legacy. I hoped you enjoyed the HP references I made within the story :)

 **Stormwreckin:** I'll definitely include Preyna moments since though I do love Percabeth, Preyna has also been strongly established. Reyna will have a proper resolution in the story no doubt about it.

 **ZebraGirl202:** Thank you! Aww, love ya too lol :333

* * *

Sorry if I didn't get to your review. I do read all of them and I am thankful. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about this story, or anything in general really.


	26. Chapter 23 - Thalia Part II

**A/N: Forgive for any typos or sentence structure errors.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23 Thalia Part II**

 ** _Reunion_**

 **(Annabeth POV)**

 _"So pull me closer._ _Why don't you pull me close?_ _Why don't you come on over?_ _I can't just let you go..."_

"Piper, please. For your boyfriend, change this song. I BEG you..."

I was in the back seat of Piper's car, along with her boyfriend Jason who was sitting shotgun. The three of us were headed to LaGuardia Airport Friday evening, planning to pick up Jason's older sister from California. In the middle, however, Piper and Jason had a little ... argument on what songs to play for the ride. Piper opted for some classic pop and Zedd's _The Middle._

Jason wasn't exactly the happiest camper with Piper's decision.

Though I was comfortably insulated from this fiasco in the backseat, I sighed as my two friends were playing tug of war with Piper's phone.

Piper pouted. "Oh come on Jason. Chill out! _Oh, baby. Why don't you just meet me in the middle_?"

"Piper..."

 _"I'm losing my MIND just a LITTLE..."_

"Pipes..."

The beat drop then came. It so happened to be we were at a red light. Piper threw her hands up and started to dance along to the song, urging her boyfriend to join her, to his vocal opposition.

Jason helplessly looked through the rear view mirror at me, his baby blue eyes in a pleading state. "Annabeth, please. Asked your best friend to kindly change the song..."

Piper locked her steely kaleidoscope eyes at me. "Oh no, you don't Miss Princess! I'm driving here! I get full dibs on the radio.

"Babe, I'm sitting shotgun. The shotgun comes with SOME radio privileges."

"It so doesn't! Especially in the Piper Batmobile. Hands off bro."

Jason sighed. "I so can't wait to get my own Jason Batmobile. I'm going to have mad rims on it. Grover and Frank will love that. More so, you have to put up with my song choices if you ride with me, darling." Jason teased.

Piper faked a sad look. "Aww, I'm sowwy babe. Maybe you should've listened to me and got your driver's permit earlier as you should have months ago. Then you could have driven your own car."

Jason's face turned stone cold. "That ... is irrelevant to the topic at hand."

I shrugged. "I don't want this to appear like I'm taking a definitive side but Piper has a point. A boyfriend should know how to drive. Especially to treat his girl. Piper sort of has a claim to 'dibs. Albeit you do hog the radio quite a lot though, especially when Silena is driving..."

Piper smiled at me through the mirror. "This is why you're my best friend Miss Princess! You can choose the next song. On me!"

Jason took his phone out, about to shoot his sister a text, trying to get out of his misery. "Let's just get to the airport girls..." he relented as Piper and I laughed, Piper playfully nudging her boyfriend in the shoulder. Despite the agony he was in, a little smile finally appeared on Jason's face as he returned his girlfriend's kiss.

It was hard to stay angry at annoying but lovable Piper for too long.

We continued to drive along the freeway for the next half hour, Piper being sweet enough to allow her boyfriend ONE song choice, which I guess is better than none at all. I then heard a notification ding coming from my phone. It was a group text message from Grover.

 _"Guys don't forget. Percy's water polo exhibition game is this Sunday! One of Percy's friends from DC should be streaming the game so we all should come together and support him."_

I felt a painful cut in me as I reread that familiar yet simultaneously foreign name.

 _Percy..._

I hadn't talked to Percy at all after that ... that night. I didn't know what to say to him. What to do after I ... I lashed out at Percy.

 _At least I don't leave people alone like you do!_

Many times throughout the weeks, I found myself starting to type out a message to Percy, hoping to explain, answer, just _talk_ to him, only to delete my message afterward and throw my phone away, confused. Frustrated.

Lost.

I had a hunch Percy was doing the same.

Those were the only conversations Percy and I had now. These typing bubbles. Thoughts that we wanted to complete and express yet, we never and couldn't.

 _Like with our emotions and feelings..._

Now, not talking with Percy for almost a full month, it reaffirmed the reality of the situation. Percy was away from me. He wasn't with me. No matter how much I tried to fool and convince myself of the opposite, I couldn't live in fantasy anymore.

 _I was alone..._

"Did you guys receive Grover's text?" Jason suddenly asked.

"Yeah, I ... I did." I stated, clearing my throat, trying to get out of my haze. "Percy's game is this Sunday."

"It is. We're still up to go to your apartment that day to watch the game, right?" Piper softly asked, peering at me through the mirror.

"Yeah ... yeah absolutely. Samantha and I will have some snacks and drinks set up. Hope you guys don't totally trash my place. I'll judo flip you if you do." I joked, flashing a forced smile at Piper's direction.

Piper studied my face. I could tell Piper sensed something was off within me. Yet, like many times before, Piper didn't confront me about it, realizing it was no use trying to open up her sealed up friend no matter how much she wanted to. Noticing an awkward silence dawning in her car, Piper cleared her throat. "I hope Percy does well in his game."

"I hope so too. He will. I ... I know that guy very well." I responded, eyes veering off into the distance.

"Hey, we're almost at the airport! Awesome! I'll drop you two off in front of the arriving terminal." Piper exclaimed.

"Sweet. I'll shoot you a text which terminal number we're at Pipes." Jason said.

"Is your sister about to land soon?" I asked.

Jason nodded. "Yep, she just landed. Give her another 10-15 minutes or so to exit the terminal. My sister can be super slow when it comes to picking up her luggage. Typical her..."

Piper chuckled. "Damn, I didn't even know you had a sister up until yesterday babe," Piper said.

Jason slowly sighed. "It's ... it's something I don't like to talk about that much, my sister."

"Oh. Are ... are you on bad terms with her?"

"No! No, I'm not. It's just ... we've had some disagreements, things that happened to us over the years. She's ... we're really sensitive about one another to others so that's why we kind of keep each other's existence a secret. " Jason explained. "Don't worry about it though."

"Well, I hope your sister and I get along. It would be nice to get along with a daughter of Zeus..." I said.

Jason looked up at me. A little smile flashed on his face, which I found weird. "I have a hunch you'll like my sister a lot Annabeth. She's a very hard girl to forget..." Jason finally stated as he opened the back car door for me, the two of us heading inside the airport.

At the arriving terminal, we were greeted to the hustle and bustle of LaGuardia Airport, a swarm of passengers flooding out of the arrival area. Jason decided to go to a nearby Dunkin Donuts, ordering a medium Caramel Mocha iced coffee with caramel swirls and whipped cream.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A little welcome back home treat for my sis. She's a big coffee girl. Figured why not treat her with New York's finest coffee establishment, Dunkin Donuts..."

I chuckled. "Aww, that's really sweet. Funny enough I had a close friend when I was younger who was a big coffee fanatic as well. Her name was Thalia. I ... I haven't spoken or seen her in ... forever..."

Jason awkwardly smiled. "Yeah, hehe. What a ... what a coincidence Annabeth..." he stuttered. Jason was stumbling his words. I noticed Jason nervously checking his iPhone making sure his phone screen was hidden from my sight.

 _Ok, Jason is definitely hiding something from me. Don't hide anything from Annabeth Chase dude. I'll find out eventually..._

Whatever he was hiding...

A few minutes went by, no sign of Jason's sister. Suddenly, the airport's announcement speaker cackled on.

"Now exiting the terminal are flight 404 and 409 Southwest Airlines from Los Angeles, California."

 **"** Oh shit. My sister should be coming out soon. Crap..."

I smiled. "I'll be over in the back in the waiting area. I'll give you two some time to reconnect. Good luck."

"Uh yeah. Thanks, Annabeth..." Jason garbled as he rushed to the front, iced coffee in hand. I smirked as I sat down on one of the available benches, taking my phone out, about to text Piper and ask where she was.

I looked around the airport for the meantime, taking in the crowd. As there were many passengers flooding out of the arrival queue, I couldn't quite distinguish Jason's sister. From the looks of it, the two were engaged in spirited conversation. I was only able to discern a few words from their talk.

 _Where is_ _she..._

"Alright, Annabeth. You ... you want to meet my sister?" Jason asked as he went back to get me.

I put my phone in my side pocket and got up. "Yeah absolutely!" I smiled.

"Alright. So, um, er... I have no freaking idea how to explain this. But uh, you know when you mentioned this ... this Thalia friend you knew when you were younger? Well, I, um, I'm, she's ... Thalia is..."

I looked at Jason, smirking. "Jason, I know you're hiding something from me. Spit it out. You've been my friend for over 2 years now. Surely you should know keeping secrets from Annabeth Chase isn't..." I suddenly stopped. As Jason's sister approached me, coming into view, I stopped dead in my tracks.

The girl's black hair was gelled, forming a noticeably spiky hairdo which Jason's sister unapologetically displayed and flaunted. She was wearing black leather boots, black Northface coat, and some blue, faded jeans. Her outfit gave off a cool, calm, but ferocious vibe as well. Her electric blue eyes were staring at me, a mixture of joy, excitement, and mischievousness in them. They were eyes that could frighten you in combat but, simultaneously, be soothing and calming.

Even more, her smile.

 _Her smile. ..._

Whenever I was sad or down, that smile would always cheer me up. Whenever I had a problem, I could always count on her smile to clarify and remedy things. Seeing her smile, I started to smile back. You couldn't help but smile after seeing this girl smile.

 _I missed that smile..._

My brain continued to fizzle and compute as I stared at the older girl in front of me. I knew who this girl was. I knew without a doubt.

But ... but it couldn't be her...

 _No. This ... this couldn't be. How ... what ... that's not... that's NOT..._

"Thalia?"

Thalia smiled at me, that mischievous yet soft, warming, and loving smile I came to know over the years greeting me. "Hey, squirt. Seriously isn't Jason the worse when it comes to surprises Annabeth? Especially for her lovable big ol' sister. I expected more of a grand introduction. I'm SO disappointed. And you should've gotten me a large iced coffee Jason. Cheapo..."

"Oh ... oh my gods Thalia!" I exclaimed as I ran up to Thalia and tackled her in a bear hug, Thalia laughing out loud. I felt my body envelope with warmness and nostalgia, the rush of happy childhood memories overtaking me. I could still hear some of Thalia's rock music blaring unapologetically from her Sennheiser headphone. She was, of course, blasting Green Day.

Yeah, this is the freaking awesome Thalia I came to know very well...

"Annabeth!" Thalia exclaimed as we finally broke off our hug. My hands were still laced in Thalia's, hers likewise. The both of us studied each other's faces for a while, trying to analyze and take in the other best friend's face after years apart. "My goodness. You've grown so much over the years! This can't be the same Annabeth Chase I knew when I was young, can it? No fucking way..."

I laughed. "Oh yes, way! Do you know any other awesome blonde girl like me? I doubt it!"

Thalia chuckled. "Good point. I can't ever forget a girl like you. Especially being that you're a cute little Hufflepuff..." Thalia teased, winking.

I frowned. "Oh for Hade's sake shut up! How do you even remember THAT after all these years!" I muttered.

Thalia grinned. "My dear Annabeth, I will always remember that about you. It's your most charming, lovable quality..."

I crossed my arms. "Smh. I'm a RAVENCLAW, mind you! And hey! I might be little to you Thales but I can still do this!" as I sneaked in a little nudge at Thalia's stomach.

"Oh ok, this is how you greet me after all this? I see how it is." as Thalia nudged me back. The two of us were having a full-on poking war in the middle of the airport, all the while we were giggling and laughing. It happened to be Piper was walking towards our area, car keys out, parking lot receipt in hand. There was an irritated expression on her face, Piper clearly agitated by something. "Alright Jason, I found parking! The parking toll was so expensive though $20 ugh! Babe, you DEFINITELY need to take me out tomorrow Saturday for a nice little..."

Piper caught me jabbing Thalia in the stomach.

"Oh, you sneaky devil!" Thalia exclaimed as she grip-locked me, my back against her chest.

I laughed out loud hysterically. "Ahh! Thalia!"

"You're not so tough now are you little girl?"

My face was in a frowny. "Ugh! You are SO going to pay for this!"

"Oh you mean you're going to be paying for me Annabeth when you treat me to a fancy little dinner in downtown New Yo..."

"Whoa. What's ... what's going on?" Piper interjected.

"Oh uh hello," Thalia awkwardly stated as she finally released me, to my utter joy. "You must be Piper McLean, my brother's girlfriend correct? Nice to formally meet you..." Thalia continued as she extended a polite hand.

Piper cautiously shook Thalia's hand, as if Thalia would randomly judo flip her if she made a wrong move. "Yeah hi. It's nice to meet you as well Jason's sister. Um, you seem like a very lovely girl Thalia but may I ask why are you head choking my best friend Annabeth..."

Thalia smiled. "Oh trust me I'm not. As much as I enjoy grip locking and jabbing Annabeth, I do NOT want to hurt this girl. I love her too much..."

I quickly snuck in an elbow jab at Thalia's shoulder as a final parting shot, to her amusement. "Aww. The same here. This is Thalia Grace Piper. She was my awesome best friend when I was younger. I first met her in first grade and well, we quickly became "besties" if you will. I love this girl..."

Piper had a bewildered look. "What? No ... no way! You're kidding me!"

I chuckled. "You'd think I let any other person lock me up in a head choke Pipes?"

"I mean, you let me call you Miss Princess Annabeth. Who knows..."

I frowned. "Piper!"

Thalia smiled. "Miss Princess? What? May I have an explanation on that nickname?"

"Ok PLEASE ignore that nickname by Piper ..." I pleaded

Piper casually shrugged. "Oh, it's a nickname I call Annabeth! My friends and I were doing Annabeth's hair and look one day and she looked absolutely gorgeous afterward. So naturally, being her amazing friend, I gave Annabeth the awesome nickname of Miss Princess. A riveting backstory I know..."

Thalia chuckled and awwed. "Aww, that's a really cute nickname for you Annabeth! Piper is right though. You've grown really beautiful over the years. The name definitely suits you..."

Some bright pink emerged on my face. "Oh my god girls can you like STOP this!"

Piper put her hands up. "Exactly! Why can't Annie see that? Sheesh, she's a hard girl to convince am I right?"

Thalia grinned. "Piper, I know we just met but I think we're going to be really good friends!" Thalia joked as Piper and Thalia laughed, bonding over "embarrass Annabeth".

"Thalia!" I moaned again as I punched her in the arm, making her laugh hysterically. However, hearing Thalia's laugh, my annoyance and frustration subsided. Eventually, I laughed again and hugged Thalia, this hug longer and more affectionate.

Gods I missed hugging Thalia. I missed hearing Thalia laugh. I missed joking and fooling around with Thalia.

 _I missed Thalia..._

"These burgers are so damn good!"

Thalia nodded. "Double bacon cheeseburger. Medium rare, extra crispy fries on the side with a large vanilla milkshake, caramel swirls on the top? Yep exactly how I liked it when I was younger..."

At Joe Jr's restaurant near Times Square, the four of us were dining out, Jason and Piper sitting together on one side of the table, Thalia and I the other. Thalia and I were munching on a delicious Joe Jr's burger with extra cheese, sharing some crinkle cut fries and an extra large, vanilla milkshake. Jason and Piper were sharing a fettuccini Alfredo pasta, no chicken, per Piper's request. Thalia was absolutely housing her burger, munching loudly, the burger's juices dripping down precipitously on the plate. Thalia didn't care though. The girl was enjoying her sloppy burger like a true champion.

I smiled.

 _Some habits don't change even after years..._

Piper, though, looked annoyed as she stared at her carnivore friends.

"Um hello? Thalia and Annabeth. My awesome friends. Vegan here trying to enjoy her food. I can't help but be a _little_ irritated that you two are so blatantly and nonchalantly eating... ANNABETH. THALIA. Hello?"

"Oh er sorry, Piper." I clumsily said as I put my burger down. "This burger is too godly to put down. Apologies..."

"Yeah, I can tell..." Jason dreamily said as he stared at his sister's burger. "This pasta isn't bad either. But man I could SOOO go for a big, juicy, meaty..."

"Ahem, Jason..." Piper warned.

"I know babe. I know..." Jason relented as Piper fed him some pasta with her fork.

"Good boy..." Piper said as she wiped off some excess Alfredo sauce from Jason's lip with her napkin.

I peered over at Thalia. I was still in a state of disbelief that my best friend from young was here with me now. "Ok, I need to ask. What? HOW? Thalia. Jason? How did I EVER go through these years being Jason's friend without knowing this gal was related to you?"

Thalia laughed. "It's easier than it sounds. Maybe Jason has mentioned this already but Jason and I really don't like mentioning each other to anyone. It's nothing personal but it's ... it's complicated. Busy schedules. Different ... different things that happened in our past. However, when I planned to visit New York this weekend last month, Jason had mentioned some of his friends in New York. When I heard that Annabeth freaking Chase was one of his friends, I couldn't believe it. I ... I thought the Fates were fooling me. Maybe it was meant to be though..." Thalia stated as she lovingly rubbed my hand.

"You know all along Jason huh?" I asked. "You knew all along in the car ride. No wonder you looked so finicky."

"Um, a little..." Jason admitted. "Hard to keep such a big secret for so long. The things I do for my sister..."

Thalia innocently shrugged. "I knew I could count on you to keep a Thalia surprise. Way to not fuck up big guy!"

"Thank you for that reassuring vote of confidence sis. You haven't changed a damn bit..." Jason smiled.

Piper, however, shook her head at her boyfriend, acting disappointed. "Annabeth was friends with Thalia. And you knew all along. BABE? How could you keep this a secret from me, huh? Your sweet, pretty innocent girlfriend, left in the cold, frigid darkness. Oh, my heart..." Piper said, voice overdramatic.

"Piper, please don't get all dramatic. Now can you please feed me some more pasta darling?"

"And now he expects me to feed him? MY GOODNESS. My boyfriend definitely owes his girl a very nice lunch out tomorrow after all this! Ideally, a place near Chelsea. The corner of 23rd and 6th. Really cool Middle Eastern place. Average of 4.5 stars on Yelp, Trip Advisor..."

"I get the memo Pipes. Don't worry, you'll be _amazed._ " Jason said, playfully poking her in the cheek with the straw of his milkshake, Piper giggling.

A smile appeared on Thalia's lip. "Can I say you and Piper are SO cute together? It's awesome seeing Jason happy. I'm glad he's found the right girl in his life."

Piper's eyes lit up. "That ... that really means a lot Thalia, coming from you. Thank you. Jason has been absolutely amazing to me. As much as I tease and needle him, I love him a lot and I can't imagine any other guy being my boyfriend except him. I'm more than sure vice versa is true as well. At least, I'm HOPING it is..."

Jason chuckled. "Chill. I love you too babe..."

Thalia's smile remained as she saw Piper kiss Jason on the cheek. I noticed, however, a pained, wistful look forming in her eyes as if Thalia was conjuring up painful memories from her past. "I can definitely tell you two love each other. I haven't seen Jason this open and caring for someone unless it was me or dad. Also, with our mother, before she ... she passed away..."

Silence took hold among the table. "Oh ... oh my goodness." Piper and said simultaneously. "I'm ... I'm so sorry for that Thalia, Jason..."

Jason slowly nodded. "It's ok. It happened a while back..."

Thalia shrugged, grabbing her vanilla milkshake and taking a long, hard sip. "Yeah, it's ... it's been a while. Jason was always closer to mom then I was throughout her life. She was always so busy with her dumb Hollywood movies gig shit as an actor and I never truly forgave her for that one ... one thing. However, she was still my mother in the end. And I ... I did still love her deep down. I regret sometimes not being nicer to her. Not being able to spend more quality time together as a mother and daughter should. I don't know, sometimes we wait too long to say to those we love that we love them. Before we know it, it's too late and they're gone. Seeing Piper and Jason act so openly in love with each other, I just ... I don't know, reminds me of mom..." Thalia uttered. I saw Thalia close her eyes, painful memories remaining.

I softly went near Thalia, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm ... I'm really sorry Thalia. I know it hurts to lose a person you love in your life. If this means anything to you, your mother raised quite an awesome daughter. She would be proud..."

Thalia smiled, noticing my gesture. She affectionately squeezed my cheeks, which made me smile. "Thank you Annabeth. Although the weeks after were quite tough, I had some people, friends I was able to count on. In sophomore year of high school, I joined the Hunters of Artemis, an all-girls club, at my high school. The Hunters became my family, almost. Being that I didn't have any family with me at the time, that ... that meant a lot. I ended up becoming one of the main leaders in their ranks. I was able to graduate a year early from high school this year and commit to College of New Rome, where I'll be studying sports management and musical theory while still being part of the college's Hunters club. All and all, I'm ... I'm doing good now."

Thalia then looked over at me. "Alright enough about yours truly Thalia. What's up with you Annabeth? How's my favorite little Hufflepuff doing after all these years? I'm dying to know!" she asked playfully jabbing me in the stomach.

I giggled as I rolled my eyes. "You're on a very short leash there Slytherin. The same as every teenage girl in high school. Homework, homework, homework. Some after-school clubs. I have the SAT tests coming up next week, which for the life of me I can't WAIT to get them over with. I ... I also was thinking about joining an architecture sketch competition in California for high school students a while back."

"Oh really?" Thalia said, tone raised, interest heightening. "That sounds really cool! You always loved architecture when you were young Annabeth. You and buildings were practically inseparable!"

I smiled, though this time it was half-hearted. "Shut up. It sounded like a really cool opportunity and I was initially about to go. However, at the last minute, I ... I decided against."

Thalia stared at me for a while, surprise on her face. "What? Annabeth, why ...

"Just, I ... I don't know. It was a multitude of factors. I was busy with a bunch of clubs, homework, other commitments. The ... the competition was all the way in California, which would have required me to stay over for a week. My dad was having some troubles with his job. I ... I didn't think it was all worth it at the end. Taking a chance..." I stated, twirling the straw of my milkshake, eyes looking down at the table.

Thalia's look of disappointment remained. "Annabeth, this would have been an amazing opportunity for you. You're the only girl I know who has a deep passion and love for drawing and architecture. If there's anyone I would've hedged my bets on, it would be you." I peered up at Jason and Piper. The two were nodding their heads in agreement.

I balled up my fists, some weird anger surging inside me though I don't know why. It felt so eerily similar to that fateful night I called Percy. My anger at what he was saying.

 _You're scared Annabeth..._

"Look, it happened already, ok? There's ... there's no point in harkening back and trying to fantasize 'what if'? To get my hopes up for something that wasn't even possible in the first place...

Thalia stayed silent, surprised by her friend's sudden outburst. She looked like she wanted to press further. My expressionless gray eyes though told her it would be of no use.

"O... ok then. Anything else you want to talk about?"

"No that's ... that's pretty much been it for me."

A little smirk appeared on Thalia's lip. "Really? No special guy in your life you'd like to mention to your awesome best friend about..."

I looked at Thalia, shocked. "Thalia!"

Thalia smiled. "Really Annabeth? We teased Piper and Jason about their fling for a bit. Now it's your turn to get teased. Come on, open up! You seeing anyone special?" Thalia teased.

The red on my face reappeared. "Can you stop, please. This the same exact thing you would do in elementary school. Trying to set me up with every guy in class..."

Thalia grinned. "That was lowkey so much fun! You wanted to send "

"Shoot I would've LOVED to see that," Piper added, clapping her hands in excitement "Ahh, I can imagine it right now! Cute little second grade Annabeth going on a playdate with one of her guy friends! The cutenessssss..."

I wanted to grab an invisibility cloak at that moment and drape it over myself. "Are you two girls done with your daily dose of 'let's tease little Annabeth?. And for the last time Thalia, I'm ... I'm not interested in anyone! You know me. I've ... I've never gone a date, much less had a boyfriend when I was younger. Guys don't exactly go for the quiet girl like me..."

Thalia lovingly rubbed me on the shoulder. "Annabeth don't say that. That's not true at all. You're pretty and smart. Charming, lovable personality guys would love. I know I certainly love it squirt. That's why I tolerate you. Barely..." Thalia exclaimed.

A soft smile appeared on my lip. "M ... maybe..."

"So spill the beans, Miss Princess. You got a guy that's caught your eye?" Thalia grinned.

"Ugh not you now with that nickname! Well, I ... I used to date this guy named Luke, Luke Castellan. He was my first boyfriend. He was really nice and sweet to me and I enjoyed our time together. However, we broke up a few months ago..."

"Oh," Thalia remarked. "I'm sorry about that Annabeth. I know it's tough to go through a breakup, especially your first. That guy totally didn't deserve a girl like you..."

I chuckled. "Possibly. Luke ... Luke wasn't bad though. He had his faults and flaws and we broke up on mutual, good terms. It was just it, he, I ... I realized, I loved..."

 _Percy..._

"It didn't work out in the end between us. That's all. I ... I realized that although I loved Luke I didn't love him love him, fully. I didn't feel a genuine, deep connection with him. That's what I'm looking for in a person, who ... whoever that may be. A feeling that I genuinely and truly love him. And he feels the same way about me... " I finally stated.

Thalia nodded. "That's really sweet Annabeth. Trust me, I _know_ you'll find someone eventually. I'm not a girl of inspiring words or quotes at all as you know but I believe someone once said you'll know inside you if you love a certain person a lot. You'll just know. Who knows, maybe you've found that certain person in your life and you don't know it yet."

"Yeah. P...possibly..."

Thalia took my hand, her blue eyes assuming a look of seriousness. "I wouldn't say all this if I didn't care about you but it's really important. You need to tell those you're close to and love in life you love them. I didn't do that with mom until it was too late. I've ... I've had to rethink about the people in my life that I love and care about, whether I've told and showed them enough times I do love them. I ... I don't want you to do the same Annabeth. Regretting..."

"O ... ok." I reiterated. It was a piece of advice that seemed and should have been easy.

But was _so_ hard for me to do...

 _Just say I love you..._

"T... thanks, Thalia. Thank you for that. " I then cleared my throat. Trying to change the subject I joked, "Man since when have you been a girl to give love advice?"

Thalia snorted. "Hey. Even if the _Hunters_ don't let their members date, I can still give awesome dating advice to you my dear Annabeth. You know I've read more than my fair share of Malec and Clace fanfics. Guilty as charged." Thalia joked. The four of us chuckled.

"Well, we should be going soon, guys. I have to drop off my sister at my house. We'll hang out some more tomorrow! Thanks again for helping me pick up Thalia Annabeth. I appreciate it."

Thalia mischievously grinned. "Hahahaha. I call dibs on the living room couch Jason! And since I'm the guest of honor for the week, I'll be expecting some quality service for hers truly."

Jason shook his head. "If you think I'll be doing your dirty ass laundry for the next whole week, you're out of your mind..."

"We'll negotiate the specifics later," Thalia stated as Piper and I chuckled. We got up, about to leave. At the last second though Thalia turned to me. "Oh shit, I almost forgot Annabeth! I have a little present for you."

I blinked my eyes. "What? No Thalia, you ... you didn't need to do that!"

Thalia smiled. "Annabeth, stop. I wanted to do this. I haven't seen you in forever. It's the least I can do as your best friend," Thalia stated. "Now stay right there and don't move! Be back in a jiff," she winked as Thalia rushed outside.

Coming back, Thalia had a gift-wrapped box in her hand. Thalia was practically jumping up and down, Thalia barely containing her excitement.

I couldn't help but be excited too. _This is what I love about Thalia._

"Tada! A gift for hers truly Annabeth Chase..."

I grabbed my present and shook it rapidly, like a little girl. "What is it?" I asked, curiosity overtaking me.

"I don't know. You'll have to open it to find out!"

"Can you give me a little teaser first..."

"Smh. What's the FUN in that? Thalia surprises are always best unspoiled my dear Annabeth," Thalia teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Still stubborn I see hmph..." I joked as Thalia chuckled, nudging me.

I unwrapped the wrapping and opened my gift. Inside, there was a multitude of flyers and information cards. They were of different tourist attractions around all 5 boroughs of New York City.

 _Grand Central Terminal. One World Trade Center. New York Public Library at 42nd street. Yankee Stadium..._

These were all my favorite architectural places in New York. There were also two unlimited weekly MetroCards, a black, instant film print camera.

And, at the very bottom, a note.

 _You up for a girls only adventure Annabeth? - your best friend Thalia ;)_

I looked up at Thalia, confused. "What ... what is this?"

Thalia grinned again. "Call it a little surprise trip around NYC with yours truly Thalia! It's all of your favorite architectural locations from New York Annabeth! We've got a whole Saturday tomorrow free to explore them. Not to mention, I'll be here until next Friday. Just like old times, you and me, hanging out together. No, one else. Also, consider this a birthday present to make up for all your birthdays I missed! Happy belated 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th..."

I stared at Thalia, unsure of what to say. "This ... this is awesome Thalia. You really didn't need to do this. You didn't..."

"Annabeth, I needed to. I meant what I said before. I really missed you over the years. And I ... I love you a lot. I want you to know that."

I smiled. I went near Thalia and hugged her fiercely, feeling myself get emotional, as did Thalia.

"I love this so much. I ... I love you too Thalia. Thank you." I whispered into her ear.

Thalia hugged me back. "Of course." Piper couldn't help but aww. She quickly grabbed the instant print camera from my present box and snapped a picture of the two of us. "You and Annabeth are so cute together. I should caption this picture! What should it be? Besties 4 Eva? The Thalia/Annabeth dope gang? No no! Sisters 4 Lyfe. Yeah, I like that!"

I giggled. "That ... that sounds nice. Sisters 4 Lyfe..."

Thalia smiled. "Yeah. Sisters..." she said as Thalia brought me close to her, playfully roughing my blonde hair. "Now sis, have some very important news to discuss with you. THE FREAKING ENDING OF MARVEL CIVIL WAR! What. the. Fuck. Dudeeeee..."

My fangirl self took over. "Oh, my gods Thalia. That ENDING. Ok so like let me just say Tom Holland is such a great actor and..."

In the car ride back to Jason's house, Thalia and I ended up chatting nonstop, both of us venting how terrible but riveting the ending of Marvel Civil War was (we're major fangirls. Don't judge us :( ). Neither of us really wanted to stop talking to the other.

It had been years since we were able to converse so freely to the other best friend.

Thalia though ended up falling asleep on my shoulder, giving in to her jet lag. I didn't mind though. In fact, I snuggled next to Thalia, resting my head against her head, feeling cozy and at ease. I started to smile as I looked at the print picture Piper took of Thalia and I hugging each other, smiling, laughing.

Just like old times.

 _Sisters 4 Lyfe..._

At that moment, I didn't feel so alone. I ... I didn't feel so isolated as I did for weeks.

I had someone that loved me.

 _I love you Annabeth..._

* * *

 **Different Reyna**

 **(Reyna POV)**

"How many laps do I have left?"

"2. Plus, another lap to cool off, so 3 in total."

Percy moaned. "The hell Rey? I've been doing laps all afternoon! I'm freaking exhausted."

"Well if you want to win your water polo match against Georgetown Prep Perce, I suggest you shut up and follow what I'm saying."

Percy faked clap in approval. "Wow. Coach Reyna again with those moving and inspiring messages to her players. Amazing."

"Will you stop being a little bitch and finish your final laps?" I finally commanded. "My volleyball team went to 2 straight finals in a row. I think I somewhat know what I'm talking about when it comes to winning."

Percy smirked. "Fine Coach. You owe me a Gatorade after this though..." Percy muttered as he started to swim back towards the end of the pool. I smiled as I took my phone out, putting a little reminder on my Notes app that Percy needed some major attitude training.

 _Being Percy' coach is both time-consuming yet awesome..._

It was the beginning of May here at Jupiter High School. Through the course of the last two weeks, Percy and I had been training hard for this water-polo match. Although it was only an exhibition water polo game, it was huge for Percy. As this was Percy's junior year of high school, college was just around the corner. It was very possible college scouts from both DC and the East Coast would be in attendance at the game, analyzing all the students. As a student-athlete, if Percy could wow these college scouts into a possible sports scholarship offer, that would be amazing.

Not to mention, the game was against a very talented and tenacious opponent, the Meriwether College Preps. Coincidentally, they happened to have a very familiar face joining their team.

Matt Sloan.

After the lunchroom incident, the kids didn't take well to Matt's actions. Neither did the school faculty. Matt was given the option of either a three-week suspension or transfer to another school altogether. Matt, eager to get out of what he considered a "Tartarus-hole" of a school decided to move schools last week to the richer and preppier Meriwether College Prep.

I was honestly happy for Matt. He was finally able to be with his own kind. For once, maybe someone, someplace, could appreciate for all it's worth Matt's charming and delightful personality. His absolutely enchanting way with the maidens. His...

 _Ok, I'm totally fronting you when I say all this but still, good for him..._

I got up and headed towards the nearby gym refrigerator to grab some Gatorade for Percy and I. Percy, though, sneakily swam his way towards the edge of the pool, being as quiet as possible. I didn't notice Percy laying in wait as I called out to him, about to toss a Gatorade.

It was too late. Percy took a handful of water and splashed some on my face and hair.

I was greeted to the wonderful taste of high school pool water in my mouth.

"Percy!" I yelled, shocked.

Percy grinned. "Sorry Coach. Didn't notice you there. My bad..." he innocently answered.

"Oh, you little freaking..." I grabbed my water bottle and squirted some on Percy's face.

"Hey!"

"This is payback for you being a terrible water polo student," I answered.

Percy smirked. "You don't know who you're messing with Rey..." as Percy grabbed another handful of water. For the rest of the while, Percy and I were having a full-on water fight. We traded pretty significant blows, getting water on the other's hair, shirt. My purple t-shirt was absolutely soaked in chlorine water. That would be a bitch to wash when I did my laundry.

However, I didn't care at the moment. I was laughing and giggling.

"Percy. Oh, my gods stop. PERCY! You're going to ruin my nice pair of sweatpants!" I moaned in the middle.

"You should've thought about that before you splashed water on thee."

"Oh HELLO. Like I was the one who started this whole thing first!"

"Dude you've been my friend for like four months. You surely should know I would do that."

"I swear you can be such a freaking idiot sometimes."

"REALLY motivating words their Coach. That deserves another splash of water in your mou..."

"Well well looks like you two are having fun..." We turned back. We were greeted to the sight of Will and Nico walking towards us, the two of them grinning widely.

I quickly put my water bottle down, Percy stopped his water splashing. "Um, sup Nico, Will." I started.

"Sup you two." Will grinned. "Did I interrupt something that was happening? Anything interesting..."

Percy sighed. "Will you two knock it off? The Percy x Reyna joke is getting old, don't ya think?"

Nico smiled as he tossed Percy and I some towels to dry ourselves. "Joke. What joke? We're just casually mentioning what we saw, that's all. Care to explain yourselves?"

My face pinked. "Niks I'm going to beat you up if you don't shut up..."

"You'll have plenty of chances when we hit the arcade after this. Now come on you lovebirds let's head out..." Nico and Will declared as they exited the gym to meet up with Tyson and Ella.

"I thought they got over this already." I declared, sighing, as I helped Percy up from the pool.

Percy sighed as well as he grabbed a towel, drying his jet black hair. "Dating rumors are such a dumb thing to be involved in. I've been a part of some dating rumors in the past Reyna. They go away. Eventually..."

"Oh uh really?" I noted. Some uneasiness started to set. Weirdly, that Annabeth girl popped into my mind. Combined feelings of curiosity, nervousness, _jealousy_ started to emerge, like before.

For once, I didn't let these feelings cast away. I don't know, it was almost as if I WAS jealous of this girl. Like I was eager to know if she had some sort of history with ... with Percy.

 _Reyna, mind your damn business..._

"It ... it was nothing though right?" I promptly asked.

"Yeah, it ... it wasn't," Percy uttered. Percy looked away into the distance, that same foregone expression that I've seen many times before on his bearing appearing. Eventually, Percy cleared his throat.

"Uh you know, thinking about it more, maybe I shouldn't have won that oversized teddy bear for you in the ring bottle arcade game at school. Might have contributed to the whole dating rumor..."

My lips formed into a smile. A pouty look emerged on my face. "The teddy bear was so cute though. Like you could resist such a cute, fluffy, adorable stuffed bear. I couldn't bear to see that little guy in teddy bear jail. He's in good hands now on my bed. I named him Mattie Bear! You know, for no specific reason at all..."

Percy chuckled and smirked. "Mattie Bear sounds like a lovely name. Anyways who cares what the dudes or anyone thinks about us, Reyna. The point is we had a great time that day. I had a great time hanging out with you. We should do something together more often." Percy stated, his right hand extended out for a low five.

My heart skipped seven beats. _I ... I really liked spending time with you too._ I quickly returned his low five, lopsided grin on my face.

"Yeah, uh definitely, dude. Definitely. Good idea." I jumbled. I immediately wanted to slap myself in the face at the moment.

 _Work on your responses Reyna..._

"I'll meet you in Tyson's car. I'm going to change now. Oh and think fast Rey!" Percy yelled as he threw his dirty towel right on my face, running off into the boy's locker room.

"Oh. OH UGH. EW. PERCY WHAT THE HELL?!" I screamed as he laughed. I grumbled as I threw the towel away, plotting in my mind my revenge against Percy later on.

 _That ass is going to pay..._

Thank the gods I like him a lot.

At the arcade in downtown DC, my friends had ordered an extra large, extra cheesy pizza. I was sitting with Nico, Percy on one side, Will, Tyson, and Ella the other. The guys were all joking and needling the other, moaning and whining about last night's Washington Wizards game, which went as well as you expected considering the team's rather dumb name.

 _The Wizards..._

From a distance, I smirked, in amusement. In the past, I rarely ever hung out with my friends. I never felt comfortable in these type of gatherings. I never felt like I truly ... belonged, like I was always trying to fit in, be something that I wasn't.

Now, I looked forward to these hangouts. I felt comfortable in my own skin.

 _I was comfortable being ... Reyna._

"Ahhh. After a long, taxing training session, it's nice to kick back and enjoy a greasy, cheesy pizza with the boys on a Friday night." Percy stated as he grabbed a slice from the pizza rack, guiding it towards his mouth.

I turned to Percy, disappointed and disgusted. "Hold it, big guy. You shouldn't be eating that. Extra cheesy pizza equals loads of fat and carbs. Not the greatest thing to eat when you're training for an upcoming game."

Ella, who was beside Tyson enjoying a chicken caesar spinach wrap, nodded. "Ella agrees with Reyna. Cheese is terrible. Terrible. Ivan the Terrible was a ruthless autocratic ruler in Russia..."

Tyson frowned. "Ella should try the pizza! Pizza is super good. Super cheesy..."

"Ella hates cheese. Cheese hates Ella. Ella. Cheese. Hate hate hate..."

Tyson sighed. "This is the only thing Tyson hates about Ella. Everything else Tyson likes..."

Percy shook his head. "Ah come on Ella, Rey! I busted my freaking butt for the past three weeks training. I don't even think I can feel my arms anymore. They feel like noodles..."

"Um not to make you feel bad Perce but they were already noodles..." I casually mentioned. My friends burst out in laughter.

Percy shot me a lovely side eye. "I'll pretend you didn't say that, COACH."

Nico nudged me in the arm. "Oh chill out a bit Rey! Let a man enjoy a delicious slice of greasy pizza with his boys on a Friday night. Least you can do for Percy after all the unimaginable torture he's endured."

"I did NOT torture him. Well, maybe a little..."

"Close to it..." Will noted.

I smirked. "Hmph. You boys got no cajones as we say where I come from. How will you ever defeat thee in a battle of arcade basketball shootout?"

Percy looked at me, offended. "Oh, now that's a different story, Reyna."

"Oh is it Jackson? We'll find out soon enough."

Percy laughed. "Cocky Reyna I see. I like that. Let's make a bet. If I win, you reduce the number of pool laps I have to do per day. If I lose, well, I don't want to know what my punishment is. I'd rather not find out..."

I grinned. "I hope those noodle arms are ready to do some laps because the deal is on." I confidently asserted as I extended my hand out, Percy shaking it.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Rey, take it easy. Don't go all super Saiyan on my boy Percy. Per favore..." he pleaded. Nico though had a smile on his face, amused by his good friend's change in attitude.

"Can I say, Reyna, you've been in a really good mood the past few weeks. I haven't seen you this happy since ... since forever. I was really worried about you after that volleyball game against the Empousas, fight with Matt. You've ... you've really changed though. I love this side of you."

I smiled as I affectionately punched Nico in the arm. "Thanks, Niks. The uptight girl can have a little fun, see?" I joked.

"Fun at my expense apparently," Percy mumbled. Percy though was smiling as well, which made me smile. "I've noticed that too, hanging out with you a lot over the past weeks Rey. I reckon the old Reyna would have slapped my pizza away from my hand. Now, she just insults my physical physique. Nice..."

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, thanks," I muttered as Percy grinned. I quickly cleared my throat though. "I mean that's ... that's partly the reason I feel happy now. Being able to spend time with you..." I softly mentioned, sincerity in my voice. Realizing the possible misinterpretation from that statement, I added. "Uh, I ... I had to spend time with you, I mean. For your game, obviously. I'm ... I'm happy to be able to train with you. Hehe..." I stuttered, forcing a smile.

Percy blinked at me, his sea-green eyes looking curiously at his friend. Percy eventually smiled as well, letting the Reyna slipup pass, to my utter relief. "Oh. Oh yeah, obviously Reyna. Thanks. I appreciate your help." he responded.

"Your game is Sunday afternoon, right? " Will asked.

Percy nodded. "Yep. Georgetown Prep. You all coming, right?"

Nico smiled. "Of course dude. Wouldn't miss it for anything."

Will nodded. "Hell freaking yeah! An opportunity to see Matt mess up? Sign me up!"

Tyson nodded. "Same for Tyson. Tyson and Ella will be streaming as well to Percy friends in New York. Tyson is good with technology!"

Percy laughed. "Thanks, guys. You all are lit." Percy turned to me. "And you Coach Rey?"

I grinned. "Obviously. What kind of coach would I be if I wasn't there for my student? I have to see the end product of my hard work and dedication."

Percy smiled. He then turned to his friends. "Alright, I'll text you all Sunday morning what time my game will start. Let's go play some arcade games now, shall we? I call dibs on the basketball shoot out. Reyna, as Yu-Gi-Oh would say, I challenge you to a duel."

Will looked at his boyfriend, grinning. "Niks, we're going to play some table hockey."

"Oh fuck. My luck." Nico moaned. "You know I hate that game!"

"Which is why we'll be playing it. I call first shot! Whoever loses has to buy the other boyfriend a cherry coke. Extra ice" Will yelled as he ran to the back, Nico bemoaning himself.

"Tyson is going to stay at the table. Tyson wants to play a card game with Ella. Ella calls the game _slap_. Slap sounds fun. Wait, why is it called slap?"

Ella smiled. She then grinned. "Ella will show Tyson. Don't worry." she teased, Ella winking at me.

I laughed. Although Tyson was a big guy, against someone intelligent like Ella, I somewhat feared for his safety in a long game of slap. "Ok, you two have fun." I declared as I got up, about to make my way to the basketball arcade game in the back.

 **"** Uh **,** Reyna." Percy suddenly said, pulling me over to the side.

I peered up at Percy. "Oh. Oh hey, Percy. What's ... what's up?"

"Reyna, I wanted to say I've appreciated all the help I've had from you over the weeks, helping me train for my game this Sunday. I know you're set on seeing me win. That's really touching and I admire that. A lot. However, this is an exhibition game still. You don't need to go all out just for me. Don't worry, please. I'll be fine."

"Percy stop." I firmly said, cutting him off. "I know this is only an exhibition game. I understand. However, the number of positives from winning the game are endless. A positive impression on college scouts in attendance, which will be amazing for your college applications. Extra training for next season. Jupiter High will have a better shot at being seeded higher at the beginning of the season, which will dramatically improve our playoff chances. Not to mention bragging rights against Matt, which is probably the BEST part out of all. Percy, you NEED to win. And you're GOING to win. I ... I want to see you win. Really. Badly." I finally ended, tone absolutely serious.

"Ok then," Percy responded, patented Percy smirk on his face. "I can definitely tell this means a lot to you, Rey. I guess if I don't want to piss my coach off, I better win. That you can count on." he teased.

I couldn't help but giggle and roll my eyes, amused. _Percy can be a lovable idiot._ "Don't win because of me stupid. Win because of yourself."

Percy chuckled. "For myself _and_ Ramirez-Arrellano. That sounds good. See ya at the basketball arcade game loser." as Percy ran off to the back.

I blinked for a moment, not believing what I heard. "Did you just. Use. My. Last name. Oh, you fucking b*astard. Come here!" as I ran off after him.

I was bent on seeing Percy win this Sunday. It was important for him. For our friends. Jupiter High School.

 _It was crucial to me..._

* * *

 **Promise**

 _T_ _halia and Annabeth quickly bonded with one another._

 _The two girls became the best of friends over the months._ _Aside from their mutual, fangirl love of books, Annabeth and Thalia opened up to one another's personality, Thalia especially. Once convinced that the friendship part of her life was over, Thalia warmed up to the_ _little blonde girl's amiable, smart, and simultaneously goofy personality. Thalia_ _enjoyed playing with Annabeth. She liked being this girl's friend. Thalia's peers would repeatedly urge Thalia to play with them. Spend less time with Annabeth._

 _Thalia wasn't having it though. Annabeth was the only true friend to her._

 _One summer day, Annabeth and Thalia visited Coney Island to play some carnival games. It was supposed to be a fun girls day out together. However, u_ _nbeknownst to Thalia, Annabeth had secretly planned on_ _taking Thalia to her first ever roller coaster ride._

 _Now, few things scared the spiky-haired girl. Usually, Thalia was the girl who did most of the scaring. However, when it came to heights, forget about it. Thalia abhorred heights. The last thing Thalia would ever want to do on a beautiful summer day was anything height-related..._

 _Much less ride a blazingly fast, wooden roller coaster..._

 _"Annabeth. No. What are you doing? ANNABETH!" Thalia yelled as Annabeth was dragging her good friend towards Cyclone, the main roller coaster at Coney Island._

 _Annabeth shook her head. "Oh come on Thalia! Lighten up. This rollercoaster is really fun!"_

 _"And super high. REALLY high. I don't know if you know this Annabeth but heights and I are NOT good friends..."_

 _"Don't worry! I'm going to ride with you! That's why I wanted to bring you to Coney Island!"_

 _"So you set me up, huh? THIS IS ALL A SETUP!" Thalia hyperventilated. The two girls were now at the roller coaster's loading queue. Luckily, or rather unluckily, the waiting line was short._

 _"Thalia chill! Again, I'll be right here. Look this coaster isn't even that high! Only around 85 feet. I read online that mega coasters, otherwise known as hypercoasters, are usually around 200 feet in height. The tallest roller coaster in the world stands at around 456 feet. This isn't that bad..."_

 _"Short. Tall. Fat. Skinny. I don't care it's still high!" Thalia complained, some visible sweat forming on her face._

 _Annabeth pouted. "Thalia! I'll tell you what. If you accompany me on this rollercoaster, afterward we can go play basketball near the Ferris Wheel area for as long as you want! That sounds like a good deal?"_

 _Thalia remained stubborn. However, Annabeth continued to silently plead with Thalia, her large cute gray eyes looking expectantly at her best friend._ _Being Annabeth's friend for a few months, Annabeth had a habit of guilting Thalia with those eyes._

 _Thalia grumbled. "Fine. But we're going in the last car seat, ok?" Thalia mumbled as she entered the coaster car, Annabeth silently cheering behind her back._

 _"Alright, everyone? Y'all ready to have some fun?!" one of the rollercoaster maintenance men yelled into the mic. Annabeth and the other riders collectively cheered. Thalia, though, was deep in prayer and regret._

 _"Please enjoy the ride and the rest of your day at Coney Island. Have fun!" the man continued as he pressed the green go button, the coaster car taking off towards the lift._

 _"How the heck is anyone supposed to enjoy their day AFTER THIS. Oh, crap the car is moving Annabeth. Annabeth why is it moving? MOVE IT BACKWARDS!"_

 _On the lift up, Annabeth was bouncing up and down in her coaster seat, the little girl in anticipation for the coming drop._

 _Thalia was less optimistic though._

 _"Oh, my gods this lift is SO long. Why is it so long? Why are they trying to torture us with this lift?"_

 _"Thalia, this isn't even the best part yet!"_

 _"HOW CAN IT GET WORSE!" Thalia yelled. The coaster car was now a mere foot away from the inevitable._

 _"Oh fuck. Fukity fuck. Why did I agree to do this with you Annabeth? ANNABETH."_

 _"The drop is coming!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Grab my hand, Thalia!"_

 _"YOU CAN BET ON THE FATES I AM! GODSODSSSS. THIS IS SO HIGH." Thalia screamed, clutching and gripping Annabeth's hand_ _for dear life. The coaster car teetered on top of the roller coaster for a solid few seconds, as if it was torturing Thalia._

 _The drop then came._

 _"AHHH OMG. WHY IS IT SO FAST? IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO MAKE A COASTER THIS FAST! I'M BEING LIFTED OFF MY SEAT CRAP! ANNABETH I HATE YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! I HATE YOUUUUU." Thalia slurred incoherently as Annabeth giggled. The rest of the ride, Annabeth laughed in jubilation, Thalia yelling some very obscene Greek and English words._

 _After what felt like an eternity, the coaster finally ended. Annabeth eagerly looked over at her best friend._

 _"See. That wasn't so bad! We could go again if you want.."_

 _Thalia didn't say anything. Her electric blue eyes were in a daze as if Thalia had seen hell froze over. Thalia simply got out of her coaster seat, allowing her shaky legs to adjust to the firm, soothing familiar ground._

 _After a while, Thalia spoke. "I'm going to kick your butt in basketball Annabeth for setting me up..." Thalia declared as she walked towards the basketball place._

 _Little Annabeth stared at her friend for a while, shaking her head in dismay. "I thought for sure she would love this rollercoaster! Oops.."_ _However, Annabeth couldn't help but smile and run after Thalia. Gone were the days Annabeth_ _dreaded the moment she had to go back to school. Play with someone in recess. Find a friend to hang out with over the weekend. Instead, she looked forward to them, eager to spend time with her best friend._ _Annabeth felt happy for once. Open and confident._

 _She finally had a friend. A person to play with._

 _"I win again Thalia!" Annabeth giddily exclaimed. It was a Saturday afternoon in mid-July. Annabeth and Thalia were at Annabeth's apartment, the two girls on a playdate. Thalia challenged Annabeth to a game of chess, set on finally beating her._

 _Of course, challenging Annabeth at chess? Yeah, good luck with that._

 _Thalia stared at the chessboard. It was only minutes ago Thalia seemingly had the upper hand in the game. However, that moment was all but gone._

 _'What the hell happened?'_

 _"Hmph. Why do I keep playing chess with you if I know I'm going to lose?" Thalia finally muttered._

 _"Cause you're so awesome! I'm victorious, again!" Annabeth giggled as she put her hands up in the air in celebratory fashion, doing a little victory dance in front of Thalia. Thalia wanted to act annoyed but she couldn't. Her best friend was extremely bright. And that cute laugh of hers was infectious._

 _"Fine. You win Annabeth. Congratulations, yet again." Thalia grumbled as Annabeth grinned. "Still, you're second best at something."_

 _"And what's that?"_

 _"Being a good tickler!" Thalia exclaimed as she lunged on top of Annabeth on the floor and proceeded to tickle her in the stomach._

 _"Ahh! Thalia don't ... don't tickle me!" Annabeth yelled, squirming, as Thalia continued her tickle assault on Annabeth for the next moments._

 _"Let me win one game against you Annabeth. Then I'll gladly reconsider..."_

 _"Thalia no! I won't do that! I won't...stop AHH!" Annabeth laughed hysterically, trying to shoo away her best friend. The two girls continued their little tickle fight, Annabeth desperately trying to escape._ _Thalia suddenly grabbed Annabeth by her back, wrapping her arms around the little girl's stomach._ _Annabeth simultaneously cried out loud and giggled, Annabeth's head and back in a pin lock against Thalia's chest._

 _Thalia looked down at Annabeth, her blonde curly hair covering her eyes, frowny look on her lips._

 _"Hehe. You're stuck!" Thalia grinned._

 _"Ugh, Thalia!" Annabeth moaned. "This is SO not fair!"_

 _"I never said this was fair..."_

 _"Hmph. This is such a Slytherin thing to do..." Annabeth mumbled. "You should be ashamed!"_

 _Thalia maniacally laughed. "I have no shame Annabeth. Especially when it comes to winning. So, what's it going to be little girl? You let me win one game. Or I'll tickle you some more..."_

 _"Smh. FINE." Annabeth relented. Thalia clapped her hands in victory as she released Annabeth, who was still muttering how Slytherins were terrible. Annabeth though sneaked in a quick little nudge at Thalia's stomach._

 _"Hey!"_

 _"You may be the tickling goddess. I am the nudging queen then..."_

 _"Hmm. Touche girl." Thalia conceded, shrugging as Annabeth grinned. "Ok enough of this. I think we have something more pressing to talk about._ _Your birthday Annabeth! It's tomorrow._ _You're going to be turning 7!"_

 _Annabeth's eyes widened. She started to jump up and down. "Yes! Yes, it is. Ooo, I want SO many things for my birthday! Presents! Vanilla ice cream cake with extra strawberries! Oh, and I want to go to the Bronx zoo..."_

 _Thalia laughed. "Ok, that's WAY too much stuff Annabeth."_

 _"But it's my birthday! And Thalia you HAVE to come with me to the zoo! I will drag you there if you refuse."_

 _Thalia laughed again. "Well, it's true it will be your birthday. And of course, I'm coming to the zoo with you Annabeth! Even if you are a dreadful Hufflepuff I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world..." making Annabeth smile._

 _Annabeth nudged Thalia again. "Seriously Thalia, when are you going to stop with that dumb Hufflepuff nick..."_ _The door to Annabeth's room suddenly opened._

 _"Uh, Annabeth honey?" Annabeth looked up. Her eyes widened._

 _It was her dad._

 _"D...dad?" Annabeth exclaimed, shocked, as she slowly turned around to face him._

 _"Hey, sweetie. How are you?" Frederick replied. Mr. Chase had just come home from a long taxi ride from the airport, luggage still_ _beside him from his trip to San Francisco. There were some eye bags under the man's eyes, signs of tiredness and overwork._ _However, Mr. Chase's fatigue couldn't hide his genuine enthusiasm seeing his only daughter, big beam on his face. "So, what's up? Did I miss anything?"_ _he nonchalantly asked._

 _"Oh, my god's dad!" Annabeth exclaimed as she got off the floor and ran towards her dad, tackling him in a hug. "What ... what are you doing here? I thought you couldn't make it for my birthday for the weekend because of your job!"_

 _Frederick smiled. "Yes, initially. I had a history conference lecture to attend in San Francisco on Athenian, Spartan economies. However, I couldn't bear to miss my daughter's birthday this weekend. Especially when she's turning 7. Seven is a very special, important number in history. The Christians, Muslims, and Jews all regard that digit as sanctimonious. And now, my little Annabeth will turn a magical 7..." Frederick said, playfully poking his daughter on the nose, Annabeth giggling._

 _"Ahh, dad stop! Don't poke my nose in front of my friend. That's embarrassing." Annabeth moaned. However, Annabeth's big smile remained. "I ... I can't believe it! Ugh, dad why did you have to fool me and say you wouldn't come?"_

 _Frederick chuckled. "As a proud Chase, deception, and coy is a natural part of us unfortunately Annabeth. Sorry. Why did you think your babysitter left a little early this afternoon? Did you really think I'd let my daughter stay at home by herself? Even though you're almost a big girl now, I can't let that happen!" he teased._

 _Annabeth crossed her arms, snorting. "Hmph. You know I'm almost in second-grade dad! I already know how to do angles and formulas. Most of the kids in class don't even know how to do that. I'm old enough, trust me!"_

 _Frederick smiled as he pinched Annabeth. "Nice try Annabeth. Nice try."_

 _Annabeth sighed. "I will win one day dad. Trust me." Annabeth warned. Annabeth though started to jump up and down, overtaken with excitement for her impending birthday. "_ _This is going to be the best birthday ever! Dad's home! Thalia is coming! I can't wait!" Frederick looked up. Noticing her daughter's blue-eyed friend, Frederick softly smiled._

 _"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't notice you there Thalia. How are you?"_

 _"That's ok Mr. Chase. I'm great." Thalia replied, returning his smile. "Annabeth and I were just talking about birthday stuff ironically. Annabeth has a very special birthday cake in mind from what I heard..."_

 _Annabeth grinned. "Oh yes, I do! Extra large vanilla ice cream cake with extra sweet strawberries. Also whipped cream! Did I mention the strawberries? Strawberries are a must."_

 _Mr. Chase chuckled. "Annabeth, oh dear. Cake? You know how I feel about cake and sugar..."_

 _"Awww but why not dad? It's my birthday! A cake_ _is a must-have for any kid's birthday. I think there should be a rule for that!"_

 _Mr. Chase rolled his eyes. However, he eventually chuckled, amused by his daughter's enthusiasm. "Alright fine. Since it's your birthday, I'll make an exception. This one day. Don't abuse it though!"_

 _Annabeth mischievously smiled. "Hehe, I definitely won't dad. Trust me!" Annabeth innocently said. She then winked at Thalia, as if saying_ _'I know how to get my dad to do what I want. Watch, he'll let me not have a babysitter soon...'_

 _Thalia chuckled.  
_

 _"Ok well, I'll be here in my room playing with Thalia dad..." Annabeth said as she was about to resume playing._

 _"Um actually sweetie, I ... I need to talk to you about something." Mr. Chase suddenly declared, clearing his throat. There was a noticeable shift in his expression. "Do you mind if you come with me downstairs to the living room."_

 _The little girl didn't notice her dad's expression change though._ _"Yeah of course dad!" Annabeth said, standing up. Before leaving, Annabeth turned back to Thalia, a smirk on her face._

 _"'I'll be back Thalia. And don't be so quick to move on from that tickling thing. I WILL get you for that." Annabeth declared pointing a finger at her friend._

 _Thalia smiled. "Try me."_ _Thalia and Annabeth laughed as Annabeth exited her room._ _A few minutes went by, Annabeth still downstairs conversing with her father. Eventually, thirsty, Thalia decided to head to the kitchen to grab some orange juice. Making her way down, Thalia planned on spooking Annabeth, a little sneaky retaliation at Annabeth for sneakily jabbing her in the arm._

 _Crouching down behind one of the living room couches, Thalia was about to spring out._ _However, as Thalia peaked up, she noticed her friend on the couch beside her dad, blank expression in her eyes. Her mood had drastically changed from before. The typical cheery, happy look on Annabeth that Thalia was used to was gone, replaced with another._

 _Shocked. Disbelief._

 _Hurt..._

'What ... what happened...'

 _"M...move? Dad, why...why do you have to move?" Thalia overheard Annabeth say to her dad._

 _Mr. Chase softly stared at his daughter, sighing. "Sweetie I didn't want to move to England. But the history department research center at Columbia University is transferring their history operations overseas to Oxford University. As I am an important member of the research team, I had to move. I need to support you and your younger brothers, Bobby and Matthew. I needed a steady, stable job and source of income. Since you're going to second grade in a few months, I concluded it was best if you stay here in New York City, remain with your friends. Uncles and relatives in nearby Boston. Please understand this was a very hard decision to come to..."_

 _"O...ok..." Annabeth softly said, Annabeth semi-understanding her father's position. However, the girl still couldn't fully accept one thing._

 _Her dad was leaving her._

 _"That ... that means I'll never get to see you, dad..." Annabeth slowly uttered, her face saddening. "You ... you won't be with me..."_

 _"Sweetie, no. Don't say that..." Mr. Chase exclaimed as he brought his daughter close to him, lifting little Annabeth up and placing her on his lap. "I promise I'll try to visit you once a year if I can. Especially during Christmas time. And of course, your birthday..."_

 _"But ... but you barely see me now with your current job! How can I know for sure you'll do that?"_

 _"Annabeth, it's true I can't guarantee I'll be able to visit you frequently, yes. However, I'll do all I can to try. In addition, I'll be able to video call you every day after school! Doesn't that sound cool?"_

 _"That's ... that's not the same though! It's not the same thing as being able to play with you..."_

 _Mr. Chase sighed again. "I ... I know. You'll be with a babysitter though Annabeth. I've already contacted her previously and her name is Riley. Riley is very cool and fun from what I heard. If you don't like Riley, you can always have another babysitter."_

 _Annabeth crossed her arms. There was some anger growing inside her, though Annabeth tried to suppress it. "I don't want a babysitter! I don't want to see you once a year! I want you to stay with me, dad! I want you to be here with me..."_

 _"I know but I can't dear. I'm ... I'm sorry. Look, I'm still going to be here for your birthday tomorrow. Let's make this the best birthday ever! After this, let's go with Thalia to a nearby cake store to buy you that birthday cake? For once, I'll allow an extra large ice cream cake!" Mr. Chase declared as he attempted to hug Annabeth, trying to lighten his daughter's mood._

 _Annabeth broke off the hug though. "How am I supposed to enjoy my birthday now? You're going to be leaving me afterward!"_

 _"Annabeth, please. Please understand I never wanted this..." Annabeth refused to look at her father, her gray eyes filling with pain and confusion. Looking at her piano set, Annabeth focused in on one item._

 _Her Yankees cap from her biological mother. A gift to Annabeth before she left..._

 _"This ... this is just like with mom..." Annabeth angrily exclaimed as she got up, grabbing the cap._

 _"Annabeth, no it's ... it's not like that. Sweetie..." Frederick said as he got up as well, trying to calm Annabeth down._

 _Annabeth though started to walk away from her dad. The little girl started to edge dangerously close to the front door. "How is it different, huh? Explain! Mom ... mom left me before I was born. Bobby and Matthew aren't here! And now you're going to leave! All of you are the SAME!" Annabeth lashed out._

 _"Annabeth no. I ... she ... mom ... Athe... calm down Annabeth, please. I never wanted to leave you. I love you with all my heart. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do. You should know that!"_

 _"If ... if you really did love me, dad, you ... you wouldn't leave me! Like everyone!" Annabeth yelled. Annabeth suddenly burst out the front door, slamming it behind her._

 _Frederick Chase blinked his eyes, shocked. "Annabeth, oh my gods. Don't run away! Annabeth!"_

 _"Annabeth!" Thalia yelled as well as she_ _emerged from behind the couch and ran outside, fear overtaking fo_ _r her best friend._ _Thalia reached the sidewalk outside Annabeth's apartment. She frantically looked left and right, hoping to spot the little blonde girl._

 _No Annabeth._

 _"Thalia oh my gods..." Frederick exclaimed, approaching besides her. "Do you know where Annabeth is?"_

 _"I ... I don't know."_

 _"Oh, gods. Annabeth. She always does this..."_

 _"We need to find her quick Mr. Chase! You should drive around the neighborhood looking for her. I'll look around this street block." Thalia proposed._

 _Frederick nodded his head. "That's a good idea, Thalia. Make sure you stay on this sidewalk only, ok? I'll be back in a few. Thank you so much, dear." Frederick said, giving Thalia a little hug, as he then ran to his car and ignited the engine, blasting off down the streetway._

 _Thalia resumed searching along the sidewalk, stopping by each apartment complex, parked car, trying to find her good friend. Annabeth's neighborhood was rather small and it shouldn't have been hard to find the little girl._

 _However, after a few minutes of heated searching, nothing._

 _Eventually, Thalia grew worried. She thought about heading back to Annabeth's apartment and using the home phone to call Mr. Chase. However, as Thalia walked back, she noticed a piece of cardboard at the far corner of Annabeth's apartment. The cardboard was resting against the wall of a nearby house complex. Inside was a metal tube that led to a secret place behind the apartment. The place was virtually hidden from plain sight and only those who knew of the location could find it._

 _Thalia knew very well what that place was. It was the entrance to the two girl's secret little outdoor playground._

 _A while back, Thalia and Annabeth discovered this little outdoor place behind Annabeth's apartment. Initially, the place was deserted and empty, more so an empty sandlot in the middle of the city rather than a place to play. However, after some novel innovations and decorations by Annabeth and Thalia, the girls transformed the place into an awesome little "girl fort"._ _Every day after school, Annabeth and Thalia would always come over and hang out in their fort, the two girls playing on the tire swings, talking._ _It was jokingly referred to as "Thalia and Annabeth's death star", a little tribute to yours truly Star Wars. No one but Annabeth and Thalia knew of this place._

 _They wanted to keep it that way._

 _Thalia quickly headed inside the metal tube, making sure to grab the piece of cardboard along the wall to cover the entrance. Crawling on all fours, Thalia finally exited through the other end of the metal tunnel._

 _There was Annabeth indeed on the outdoor tire swing, right by the big green maple tree. She was quietly shuffling her feet, half-heartedly swinging. Annabeth's face was down, her_ _long blonde hair messily sprawled across her face. The girl's Yankees cap shielding a majority of her expression. Annabeth tried her best to fight back the tears, kicking around some rocks on the ground, sniffling. Yet_ ** _,_** _Annabeth couldn't hold back her anger and sadness as she picked up another rock and threw it, hitting the ground with a loud thud._

 _"My dad hates me! He ... he hates me!" Annabeth bitterly whispered._

 _"Annabeth, oh my gods are you okay? Your dad and I were trying to find you!" Thalia yelled as she approached Annabeth._

 _Annabeth looked up. Noticing it was her friend, she looked away, not wanting Thalia to see her in this state. "T...Thalia. Just ... just go." Annabeth stuttered._

 _"Annabeth, no I'm not going to..."_

 _"Please, Thalia. I'm ... I'm okay..." Annabeth pleaded._

 _"Annabeth..."_

 _"Thalia, I just want to be left alone, please!" Annabeth angrily vented. However, Thalia ignored the girl's cries as she softly scooted beside Annabeth on the tire swing._ _Slowly Thalia eased Annabeth's head on her shoulder, allowing Annabeth to rest on her as she cried._

 _Thalia and Annabeth stayed that way in silence, the only sound the outdoor breeze and cars passing by. After a while, Thalia spoke. "Annabeth. You shouldn't run away like that from your dad. Again. You're going to make him worry about you. I'm ... going to worry about you."_

 _"I'm ... I'm sorry..." Annabeth sniffled. "I'm ... I'm just sad..."_

 _Thalia tightened her embrace around Annabeth. "It's okay Annabeth. I understand..."_

 _Annabeth's large gray eyes veered up at Thalia's blue, a confused, pained look in them. "I ... I don't get it! Why does my dad have to move Thalia? Why ... why does my dad hate me? Why?" Annabeth sullenly asked._

 _"Annabeth, he doesn't hate you. He just has to move. It's part of his grown-up job." Thalia answered._

 _"But ... but why..."_

 _"Grown-ups need to make money. That's how they're able to buy us all these toys and afford our houses. Your dad wants to provide for both you and your brothers. That's why he has to leave."_

 _"M...maybe..." Annabeth uttered, though there was doubt in her tone. Annabeth still felt a deep pain inside her, however, the little girl replaying what her dad told her before._

 _Many times when she was young..._

 _'I love you Annabeth...'_

 _"Dad ... dad doesn't love me. He doesn't!" Annabeth cried out._

 _Thalia looked at Annabeth. "Annabeth, no. Don't ... don't say that..."_

 _"It's ... it's true! He's going to be leaving me alone. By myself.."_

 _"That's not true Annabeth. You know your parents love you. That's why they are your parents."_

 _"Mom left me before I was born. The only thing she gave was my ... my Yankees cap. I ... I only had my dad growing up. But now, he's going to be leaving me too.."_

 _"I .. I don't know why your mom left Annabeth. I don't. But you can't say your parents hate you. They'll ... they'll always love you. That's why your dad wanted to visit you for your birthday this weekend."_

 _Annabeth sniffled some more. "I don't believe it! Family sticks together. That's what Miss Smith always told us. That's what they teach you in pre-k. No matter what, family always sticks together. If ... if they love you, they'll always be there by your side."_

 _"But ... but they do love you Annabeth. You need to know that..." Thalia slowly answered. Yet, Thalia remembered the pure anger and vitriol she harbored for her mother._ _The hurt she felt when she learned of the news that she would be separated from Jason._ _Like Annabeth, Thalia didn't know whether her mother loved her. She didn't feel that she did._

 _Thalia couldn't bring herself to tell her best friend a lie essentially._

 _Especially if Thalia didn't believe in it herself..._

 _"They ... they do love you Annabeth. They do..." Thalia reiterated._

 _Some more tears escaped Annabeth's eyes. "I ... I don't know. Dad ... dad always told me we were a family. That he'd be there for me. That' we'd stick together. Now, I don't have a family. I ... I don't have someone who loves me..." Thalia saw the girl breakdown on the inside at her last statement._

 _'I don't have someone who loves me...'_

 _"Annabeth..."_

 _"It's true! I ... I don't have anyone."_

 _"Annabeth, please. Please don't say that..." Thalia said, feeling herself pain up at her friend's words as well._

 _"Thalia..."_

 _"Annabeth, stop. I love you..." Thalia suddenly declared. Annabeth looked up. She noticed the intensity in Thalia's eyes and bearing, which surprised little Annabeth._ _Thalia then closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. She let out a sigh, the inner monsters the girl had been trying to rid and dispose of for months reemerging. "I ... I know exactly what you're feeling right now Annabeth. This feeling that your parents don't love you. That no one around you loves you. This ... this loneliness..._ _"_

 _"Y... you do?" Annabeth asked._

 _"Yeah..." Thalia inhaled a deep breath. Thalia felt some uncertainty within her, unsure whether to open up to this little girl one of her biggest inner secrets. However, as she saw Annabeth shyly yet expectantly stare at her, Thalia felt a duty to let Annabeth know._

 _Annabeth was her best friend._ _In some ways, she was part of Thalia's family now._

 _"Before I moved to New York, I was living in California. I had a little brother there. I ... I don't feel comfortable sharing his name. It's nothing against you it's just ... I consider him super special to me. But I loved my brother a lot. He was my best friend and we would always play together. Whether it be at the playground, mall, or kicking his booty in NBA 2k, anything fun I did I would always do with him,"_

 _"That ... that sounds cool," Annabeth commented._

 _"Yeah..."_ _Thalia stated, a little smile forming on her lips as pleasant memories began to wade through her head. "However, at the same time, my mommy and daddy were fighting. They had been fighting for over a year now. I don't know why exactly they started fighting. Maybe they had some differences in their jobs or life. Maybe dad was frustrated with mom and her drinking habits and mom frustrated with dad for this little fling he had with a woman named Hera. Possibly they ... they forgot why they loved each other in the first place. That last part hurts a lot. Realizing the two people you love a lot in your life suddenly don't like each other..."_

 _"Oh," Annabeth uttered. "I'm ... I'm sorry for that Thalia. I know it hurts seeing your parents fight against one another. I ... I know it doesn't mean anything when I say I'm sorry but I'm ... I'm really sorry..." Annabeth stated as she rested her head on her best friend's chest, hugging her, hoping to comfort Thalia._

 _Though the pain remained in Thalia, a smile escaped her lip as she gladly accepted Annabeth's gesture. She softly squeezed her best friend on the cheek._

 _At that moment, Thalia felt thankful she had a friend like Annabeth with her. For once, Thalia didn't feel alone and isolated with her inner problems._

 _Like she had been in the past..._

 _"No thank you, Annabeth. I ... I mean it. Eventually, mom and dad had had enough of one another. Last summer, mom decided to accept a new acting gig in New York City and mom agreed to move with me to New York while dad stayed in California with my brother. I didn't want to leave my brother. He was the only person I could relate to throughout. I kept telling myself this wasn't happening. I wasn't going to lose my brother. When I finally boarded the airplane to New York, realizing that it was in fact happening, I felt_ _devastated. Confused. Angry. H ... hurt._ _I ... I felt that mom didn't love me. She didn't care about me and how I felt. I ... I was angry at her. I didn't feel like she was my mom anymore..."_

 _"Thalia, that's ... that's not true," little Annabeth softly stated. "She's your mommy still. She's ... she's still your family. Your mommy might have hated your daddy but she still loved you at the end. Maybe that's why she decided to move. She thought it would be best for you and your brother, not having two parents fighting the other constantly."_ ** _  
_**

 _"I ... I never thought about it that way. Maybe... " Thalia thought, the girl now deep in thought contemplation. Eventually, Thalia cleared her head._ _"Annabeth, even if you feel that you're alone or no one loves you now, don't. Even if you feel that your dad doesn't love you, don't. I'm your friend. I like spending time with you. You've become my main girl, my best friend here in New York._ _You are a part of my family now. As a family, we don't turn on one another. We remain together. We're ... we're not going to let what our families did to us happen again..."_

 _"Y... you promise?" Annabeth asked. There was some deep doubt within the girl's tone and eyes as if the girl had heard this promise over and over again from those she loved, only for them to be shattered._

 _Thalia knew that sentiment all too well. It was she felt against her mother. When she boarded that solitary plane to New York, the sight of her little brother still on the ground, realizing that she would be separated._

 _Betrayal._

 _Thalia was intent on keeping her vow with Annabeth._ _She was intent on not breaking her promise to her._

 _She was intent on not letting her feel the same pain that she did before..._

 _"I promise Annabeth..."_

 _Little Annabeth smiled, realizing her best friend was speaking from the heart. She was being genuine._ _Annabeth then looked away, however._ _Her large gray eyes assumed an uneasy look to them as if she was apprehensive about what she wanted to ask next._ _The girl finally mustered up her courage as she looked at her friend._

 _"Um Thalia, I ... I want to ask. Can ... can I call you my sister? I always wanted to have a sister as part of my ... my family. I know we only met a few months ago but I feel that you're more than just a ... a friend to me. You're ... you're my sister. It's okay if you don't want to be that. I understand..."_

 _Thalia looked over at her friend and_ _gave a quizzical look. "Not okay? Of course, it's okay Annabeth! You're part of my family now. An awesome fangirl family I should note._ _Always feel free to call me sis, sister!_ _" she grinned, making Annabeth laugh. Annabeth went over to give Thalia a big hug, wrapping her arms around her friend, her face buried against Thalia's chest. "I ... I love you, Thalia. I ... I love you a lot. You're such an awesome, cool friend to have."_

 _Thalia smiled as she saw her little friend hug her. Thalia instinctively hugged Annabeth back._ _Thalia felt some warmness develop inside her, It was a weird feeling for the usually tough-minded, closed off girl. It was so long since she felt a strong sense of kinship toward someone other than Jason. A strong sense of family._

 _Thalia realized that as much as she loved Annabeth, Annabeth loved her back._ _Annabeth was her part of her family now..._

 _Family she was intent on keeping this time..._

 _"I love you too Annabeth. I love you a lot. Now come on sis, let's go back to your house! We can still go to the cake store before it closes. We'll make it extra large just for you, trust me." Thalia grinned as she playfully adjusted Annabeth's oversized Yankees cap on Annabeth's head._

 _Annabeth giggled at Thalia's gesture, a big, cute lopsided smile on her face. "O...ok. Make sure the strawberries are super sweet!"_

 _"For my little sis, of course." Thalia joked as Annabeth laughed, nudging Thalia in the stomach, Thalia now giggling herself. Thalia and Annabeth collected themselves as they finally exited their secret outdoor fort, making sure to recover the entrance with the cardboard._

 _Mr. Chase was at the front of the apartment. He had his cellphone to his ear, a frantic look on his face._

 _"Yes, hello? Hi, my name is Frederick Chase. My daughter, Annabeth Chase, ran out of the house just a few minutes ago. I ... I don't know where she went. She just ran out of the house and I'm so worried and ..." Mr. Chase stopped. Annabeth suddenly went towards her dad, a shy little smile on her face._

 _"Hi, dad..."_

 _"Annabeth!" Mr. Chase ran towards his daughter and tightly hugged her._ _"Annabeth, I'm ... I'm so sorry dear," he exclaimed as Mr. Chase continued to hug Annabeth tightly. "Please don't scare me like that. Look, I'll rethink this whole moving situation, ok? Maybe I can find another part-time job in the meantime closer to home. Or I'll ... I'll urge Columbia University to retain their operations in the states. Maybe I can..."  
_

 _"Dad, it's ... it's ok." Annabeth interrupted, smiling at her dad, which took him by surprise. "It's ok. I ... I understand why you have to move. I'm sad, yes. But it's ok."_

 _"Annabeth, no. I understand your anger sweetie. I don't want you to feel ..."_

 _Annabeth put a hand on her dad's shoulder. "Dad, I'm being serious. I still have my other friends in New York to keep me company. Miss Smith. My friends from school. I ... I also have Thalia with me. My close awesome best friend. I'll be ok. Trust me." Annabeth declared as she looked off to the side at her friend._

 _Thalia smiled at Annabeth. She then looked at Mr. Chase, nodding her head. "Sister, mind you Annabeth. Your awesome, amazinn sis." Thalia joked as Annabeth giggled._

 _Mr. Chase peered on at the two girls, some trepidation within him at his daughter's statement and having to leave her. However,_ _Mr. Chase slowly began to ease up, realizing Thalia was being truthful with her statement. Annabeth did have a friend in New York who cared for her._

 _Loved her._

 _That was what Annabeth always wanted from a young age. A person, friend, someone who loved her._

 _It looked like she finally had one..._

 _"Ok dear. Thank you for being understanding. I ... I love you." Mr. Chase finally stated as he hugged Annabeth again._

 _"I love you too dad," Annabeth responded. That familiar, warm smile reappeared on Annabeth's lip, which made Thalia smile as well._

 _Mr. Chase then released Annabeth. A mischievious smile formed on his lips. "Now, I think it's time we actually buy that cake for you Annabeth! But first off, let's find some ice cream, shall we? I'm starving. Consider it my one time treat for you two girls."_

 _Thalia and Annabeth yelled in jubilation. "Yay!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Yes. Oh, I want to buy Haagen Daaz ice cream!"_

 _Thalia frowned. "Really? I much prefer Friendly's ice cream!"_

 _Annabeth crossed her arms. "What? NO. Haagen Daaz tastes amazing! Friendly's is all sugar sis!"_

 _"That's exactly why I love it." Thalia grinned. "Pure delicious sugar!"_

 _Annabeth smirked. "Hmph. You need to change your taste buds sis."_

 _"Right back at you..."_

 _Mr. Chase chuckled. "Ok, can you two girls stop fighting like sisters. We'll get both when we head to the supermarket, how about that? We can also buy birthday candles, birthday hats, and games as well!." Mr. Chase proposed as Annabeth and Thalia laughed._

 _"Hey, Thalia started it, dad!" Annabeth exclaimed._

 _"Oh nuh uh! You did. Take the L squirt." Thalia shot back, the two girls now play strangling the other in the back of the car, all the while giggling._

 _In the car ride, Annabeth and Thalia continued to chat nonstop about Annabeth's birthday, their excitement growing by the second. Eventually, however, little Annabeth started growing tired. Unbeknowingly, Annabeth's head started to slowly fall on_ _Thalia's shoulder. The little girl then fell asleep on her friend,_

 _Thalia looked over at Annabeth, who had a happy, content look on her face as she slept. Thalia smiled. She softly readjusted her shoulder, not wanting to wake up her little sister from her sleep, snuggling Annabeth close to her. Thalia started to replay what she told Annabeth back at the swings. A promise she intended on keeping._

 _You are a part of my family now. As a family, we don't turn on one another. We remain together. We're not going to let what our families did to us happen again._

I promise Annabeth.

* * *

 **Well hiya :). So there's that chapter. This chapter was very heartwarming to write. It was sooo cuteeeee. Thalia and Annabeth, the two bad ass sistasss. Family, friendship, and love are big themes in this story and Thalia and Annabeth really drive home that point. The Thalia Annabeth backstory will have further explanation next chapter.  
**

 **Also, Percy x Reyna. Chill chill Percabeth lovers. I write these cute scenes between Percy and Reyna because Reyna does deserve someone who loves her in her life and she's entitled to be happy after what she's gone through. Annabeth and Reyna are super similar in their experiences and it's no secret that their POVs appear more often than other characters.** **Though the end result might not be Preyna, it's still heartwarming and sweet for me to write Percy showing his care for Reyna since no one really has shown that towards her. Hope Y'all understand and don't throw pitchforks at me :P**

 **I don't want to spoil the good feels we're all feeling here but if you know my story already, you can predict something is about to go down soon. Might be next chapter who knows ;)**

 **Anywho, I want to address something else. I noticed favs, reviews, and view counts have been severely down past two chaps. You guys still following the story or have there been a loss of interest? I also released a one-shot story a while back "The Late Night Show ft Percabeth", which didn't do so well. I'm trying to not care about favs/reviews as much as before and I hate to keep bringing this up but I can't lie and say it's not disappointing and disheartening. Hope you guys appreciate the effort I put in and show that love. Means a lot! :)**

 **How has everyone's 2019 been? Being that I'm a huge nerd, I'm SO looking forward to the latest and final movie installment of How to Train Your Dragon 3 aka _The Hidden World,_ one of my favorite film series of all time. I've been waiting ****literally** **forever for that movie to release! Feel free to review and PM me about HTTYD 3 if you're super excited as well! February 22 can't come soon enough dammit...**

 **Here are some responses down below. See ya later**

 **-Friction**

* * *

 **Review Responses**

 **ZebraGirl202:** Aww thank you :). I'm happy to have made you, um, dying inside I guess lol. Stop I'm not Grant Gustin. Not even close. Not even like REMOTELY. But thank you :D

 **Penny :**

Hey, I'm a dork too so yippee. And I totally agree with you, Harry Potter has a great plot but PJO has very rich and lovable characters. I'll take PJO over Harry Potter any day though. You can't top Percabeth :)

Much love xxx - Friction

 **MasterTrident:** Looking back, I agree. Jason's speech might have been a little too advanced for his age. However, in my view, I always viewed Jason as the more rational sibling out of the two and the voice of composure and reason for Thalia. That is why I had him talk rather maturely when it came to the subject of their mother.

 **PersonofIntrest:** Glad you're still reading. As for your point on Thalia, I respectfully disagree. I wanted to make Thalia unique and have some fire in her personality while also keeping her warm and soft around Annabeth. That was important for me to do. I might have overdone it possibly but that was my intent. As for 7-year-olds being too young to play video games, I have a funny story actually of my friend's younger brother, who is around 5. He plays Grand Theft Auto 3 regularly on his iPhone. So I don't think kids are too young to video game hehe.

 **Mario and BFDI Bros: **I think this chapter answered your initial question so yep! And thank you for your concern. It still bums me admittedly with reviews/favs sometimes, not going to lie. But I love this story too much to quit. Thank you for your concern though dude! :)


	27. Chapter 24 Thalia Part III

**Chapter 24 - Thalia Part III**

 _ **Jason: Thalia, have you made a decision?**_

 _ **Thalia: No. I haven't**_

 _ **Jason: You have to decide eventually Thales. It's only a month away.**_

 _ **Thalia: I know Jason. I fucking know! You don't need to keep telling me...**_

 _A pause occurred as Jason gazed over his sister's text. It was so reminiscent of the old Thalia that Jason dreaded. The one who was guarded like a solitary pine tree out in the woods about revealing her problems to those she loved **.**_

 _Jason continued. **Jason: You free to call now? We can, you know, talk about it with me some more.**_

 _"Who ya texting sis?" Annabeth playfully asked as she ran up beside Thalia, Annabeth wearing a little red floral dress. The two girls happened to be out shopping at Macy's for wedding dresses on a Saturday afternoon. One of Annabeth's relatives was having a wedding soon and the two girls had the distinct honor of being bridesmaids._

 _However, as Annabeth and Thalia looked through their closets, it was clear neither girl had any wedding dresses. At. All. Annabeth and Thalia weren't exactly the type of girls to rock the flowery, pink dress look._

 _Hence why the two girls were out shopping in Midtown. Thalia would have loved to be anywhere else. Even a tall, loopy roller coaster._

 _However, for her best friend and younger sister, Thalia willingly relented._

 _Thalia quickly shot her brother a text. "I'll c_ _all you soon Jason. I'm out shopping..."_ _Thalia then tucked her phone in her jean pockets, crossing her arms at Annabeth._

 _"Hey! Privacy Annabeth! How many times do I have to remind you?" 11-year-old Thalia exclaimed. Ever since Thalia got her first smartphone, Annabeth just HAD to know who her older sister was calling and texting every millisecond of the day._

 _You know, being the lovable, younger nosy little sis she was._

 _9-year-old Annabeth frowned, pouting. "Aww but come on. Tell me who you're texting. I need to know! Plus I'm bored..."_

 _"Um, ya don't thank you very much. And how are you, bored dude? You haven't even picked a dress yet for your step cousin's wedding."_

 _The little girl continued to pout. "You know I hate dresses, Thalia! I'd rather hold the weight of the sky than be caught in a pink dress..."_

 _Thalia laughed. "Don't be so quick to say that. Oh, stop you look adorable in that dress. Like an Annabeth rose..." Thalia joked as Thalia ruffled Annabeth's hair._

 _Annabeth squirmed in embarrassment, long blonde hair now covering her eyes. "Ahhh stop! No roughing Annabeth!"_

 _"Yikes. Guess this rose is super thorny and prickly huh..."_

 _"Can you shut up before this Annabeth rose bites you..." Annabeth barked as Thalia smiled._

 _"Come on Thalia, pleaseeeeeeeee. Please tell me who you're texting! I tell you all my secrets. Why can't you tell me yours?" Annabeth continued pleading._

 _Thalia snorted. "Bullshit you so do NOT Annabeth. Stop playing." Annabeth bit back a curse, the girl realizing her lie attempt wouldn't go by that easily with her best friend._

 _'Ah shoot...'_

 _"Ok well, maybe I DON'T. But I don't want you to do that to me!"_

 _"Mmm, that's totally fair..."_

 _"You're the older sister. You should set a good example for me. That starts by telling me who you're texting!" Annabeth squeaked, trying for a cute smile. Like hundreds of times before, Annabeth was banking on her cuteness to guilt her best friend._

 _Unfortunately, Thalia had grown cognizant to the smart girl's tactics._

 _"Sorry. Not going to work this time." Thalia stated, pinching Annabeth on the cheek. "Nice try though I'll give you that."_

 _Annabeth sighed, rubbing her now red, swollen face. "Hmph. Thalia. Please. Pretty pretty PRETTY please..."_

 _"N-O. Nada. Nixie. No way..."_

 _Annabeth crossed her arms, dismayed. "Damn it." Suddenly, she had a light bulb moment in her head, attempting to connect all the dots._

 _Thalia caught it._

 _"No. Annabeth. NO. If you say the b-word, I swear to all the gods..."_

 _"Boyfriend! You have a boyfriend now!" Annabeth yelled, giggling._

 _Thalia felt some heat creep on her cheeks. "Oh my gosh, I do NOT!"_

 _"Boyfrienddddddd!"_

 _"Annabeth..."_

 _"Hey hey, you you! Thalia has a boyfriend! No way no way. I think you might be tripping. Yes way yes way! She actually has a boyfriend!" Annabeth started singing out loud along to the chorus of Avril Lavinge's - Girlfriend._

 _"Shut the fuck up!"_

 _"You have a boyfriend! ADMIT IT!" Annabeth smiled. "That's why you don't want to tell me who you're texting! It all makes PERFECT sense! Who is it? Oh, is it Mike from English?! Shoot maybe it's Sam from PE. You always kind of liked Max!"_

 _"Annabeth no! I'm not dating Mike, Max, Sam, Ham or any freaking ugly guy. End of story." Thalia abruptly declared. "No one. ZERO."_

 _"Well, then it's a girl! You have a girlfriend! Awww that's even cuter!"_

 _Thalia eyed Annabeth like she just turned into a pine tree._ _"If I can't attract members of the opposite sex Annabeth, how the hell do you expect me to get a girl to check me out?"_

 _Annabeth shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe your charms work with the ladies. There's always a possibility a girl out there likes your violent, abrasive personality..." little Annabeth reasoned._

 _Thalia blankly stared ahead. "You're lucky you are my sis or I would have kicked your ass for that." as Annabeth grinned._

 _"Come on! Tell me who your one true love is! I'll leave you alone if you tell me! I pwomise..." Annabeth finally stated, the girl stamping her feet, large gray eyes scrunched, anything she could do to convince her sister to reveal her secret._

 _Thalia grumbled. "You know I hate you right?" she moaned. "Hmph fine, sit down little girl." Annabeth then obliged, taking a seat at one of the available benches outside the woman's dressing room. The entire time Annabeth was shuffling her feet excitedly, unable to hold back her anticipation for Thalia's story._

 _Thalia breathed deeply. "So, I ... I don't know how to start off or tell you this Annabeth. But there's this ... person in my life I really love. Who's caught my eye. It started off as just this little dumb crush but over the weeks, I ... I think I started to fall for him. He's really smart, cute, funny. Just ... he's the absolute best."_

 _"Ahh, I knew it!" Annabeth squealed. "I thought this day would never come. My sister, on a date? The guy has NOOO idea what he got himself into! Thaliaaaaaa,_ _what's his name, what's his name tell meeeeee!" Annabeth begged._

 _"I ... I can't say. I'm sorry. It's too … hard." Thalia uttered, closing her eyes._

 _"Thalia come on."_

 _"No, Annabeth. I … no…" Thalia reiterated, looking away from Annabeth._

 _Annabeth softly grabbed her sister by the hand, eyes softly but firmly looking at her. "Thalia, you can trust me. I'm your best friend. Your sister. You can tell me anything."_

 _Thalia's eyes remained fixated on the ground. However, Annabeth continued to hold on to her best friend, letting her know she was there._

 _As always._

 _Finally, Thalia met Annabeth's large eyes. Thalia brushed back a curl of hair covering her face, slowly but surely about to speak and reveal her big secret._

 _Thalia opened her mouth._ _It's not before, however, a mischievous grin escaped from them._

 _"His name is 'Mind your own fucking business Annabeth.' I need to call someone now capeesh?"_

 _Annabeth blinked. Slowly coming to the realization she was a victim, yet again, of Thalia's stupid, dumb pranks. Annabeth snorted. "You asshole," Annabeth muttered, little Annabeth using a curse word, which she rarely did._

 _Thalia winked. "Hehe. Now, find some more cute dresses to try on in the meantime Annabeth. I'll be right with you after I'm done with my call!"_

 _"Take as much time as you want. Seriously. You are a meanie…"_

 _Thalia laughed as she hugged Annabeth. "Aww thank you. You're the absolute best! You know what, if you want you could be my fake girlfriend when the elementary school dance comes up. How does that sound, eh babe?"_

 _Annabeth nearly vomited in her mouth. "Ugh ew ew. Stop! Don't make me vomit on this expensive dress. EW." Annabeth moaned as she scurried outside to the woman's clothing section to look for some more dresses, Annabeth significantly more eager to do so._

 _Thalia's smile remained as she dialed Jason's number, placing the phone to her ear._

" _Hiya brah."_

" _Hey. What's up? Um, mind telling me what the hell you are doing out shopping sis?"_

 _Thalia chuckled. "Chill there's a good reason Jason. I'm out shopping with my best friend right now. Her step-cousin is having a wedding soon and we were chosen to be bridesmaids. Get off my jock son the world is still spinning…"_

" _Oh, thank the gods. For a while, I thought the venti_ _may have overtaken my sister."_

" _You so would have liked that."_

" _Can't say I wouldn't have…"_

" _Asshat." Thalia and Jason shared a laugh._

 _"Oh, by the way, you're now playing my fake boyfriend Jason."_

 _"What?"_

 _Thalia chuckled. "My friend caught me texting you while I was waiting for her in the dressing room. She thinks I was texting my significant other or something. So I guess you're 'bae' to me now."_

 _"That's absolutely disgusting."_

 _Thalia laughed. "Aww, what's up with everyone not wanting to go out with me? First my best friend. Then you. I'm absolutely heartbroken…"_

 _"I love you Thales but ew. Your friend is a smart girl for rejecting you."_

" _I wish I could choke you in a headlock right now for saying that…" Thalia muttered. However, Thalia's mood couldn't help but soften as she thought about her little blonde friend._

 _Thalia eventually chuckled._ " _Yeah, my friend is something. Admittedly she can annoy the hell out of me and she loves to get on my nerves!_ _But, she's the only girl I know that can take my jokes while also making some good ones herself. I ... I love her. A lot."_

 _Jason started to smile at the other end of the line. "That's nice to hear. I'm happy you made a friend Thalia! I … I was worried you wouldn't after all that … that happened between us." Silence took hold between t_ _he two siblings._

 _Jason broke it. "Thalia, we need to talk about it."_

 _Thalia let out a burdened sigh. "I talked to mom last night. She said she needs to finish filming her latest movie in New York. It should take about a month. After that, we … we will move. Move from New York…_

" _Where did mom want to move to?"_

" _Las Vegas. They have some movie gigs happening in the city. It's also closer to you."_

" _Las Vegas sounds nice! It's that city with all those bright, flashing lights at night, right? There's also this thing I learned from my teacher called gambling. I don't know what this is…"_

" _Good. That's ALL you need to know about Las Vegas, the bright lights. I will punch you if you Google what gambling is."_

 _Jason chuckled. "I won't you have my word. Well, that's good, right? You'll be closer to me! We can see each other more often. You'll make some new friends. It works out in the end."_

" _Yeah. I … I guess." Yet, Thalia's eyes drifted to her best friend,_ _who had a bunch of dresses messily strewn in her Macy's shopping bag. Annabeth peered back to the dressing room. Noticing Thalia starting at her, Annabeth crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out, letting her sister know she was VERY disappointed at her still for the prank._

 _Thalia, as always, cracked a smile. Her sister had a natural way of doing that to her no matter Thalia's mood._

" _Thalia what's wrong..."_

" _I ... I don't know. I do want to be closer to you Jason. That's what I always wanted. Now, I'm ... I'm not sure." Thalia confessed._

" _You don't need to move if you're unsure. No one is forcing you. You can always tell mom you want to stay in New York. I think she's only moving because she knows you always wanted to be closer to me."_

" _Maybe..."_

" _So then stay! If you like New York, stay there!"_

" _No! I mean yes. I mean… UGH… I don't know!" Thalia vented. "Look it's … it's whatever! I'm fine. I have a month to figure this crap out. I have a lot of time to think it over. I'll be ok!"_

" _That's what you said last time. When mom told you she was planning to move to New York..." Jason mentioned._

" _Jason SHUT UP. Just PLEASE shut up!" Thalia yelled, her frustrations finally boiling over and reaching its tipping point. Catching herself, the perplexed spiky-haired girl shook her head, calming herself. "Gods I'm … I'm sorry Jason! I ... I just don't know what to do. I want to be with you. But ... but my best friend..."_

" _It's alright Thalia. I understand" Jason softly interrupted, not letting Thalia complete her thought. "Take your time and think through everything. Remember, no matter what, I'll still be your brother. Even if you end up staying in New York, I'll still be your bro. I'll still be able to see you. That won't change. The friends you make in New York, though; you might not be able to see them ever again."_

 _Thalia felt a knife pierce through her heart at that thought. For so long, the only thing_ _Thalia wanted was to get back to her brother._

 _The only person she considered family._

 _Now, with Annabeth, her best friend, sister, family, Thalia was even more lost than ever._

 _'You might not be able to see them ever again...'_

 _"Ugh!" Thalia exclaimed as she then abruptly hung up her phone, shoving it in her pocket. At the same time, Annabeth was sneakily creeping up behind Thalia, about to scare her friend. As Thalia tried to compose herself, Annabeth jumped in front of her._

" _Boo! Sup you loser!" Annabeth grinned. "How did your call with your boyfriendddddd go? Is he going to take you out on a date sooooon? You can't wait to kiss him, can't you!" Annabeth teased. However, as little Annabeth observed Thalia's sorrowful expression, the girl's smile began to fade._

" _Uh what … what happened Thalia?"_

" _Oh. Oh hey Annabeth," Thalia responded, noticing Annabeth. Covering up her frustration, Thalia put on a half-smile. "It's nothing. I just finished my call."_

" _Oh. Oh ok. Who were you calling?"_

" _Just one of my family members back home. We were discussing … school." Thalia lied. "It's nothing to worry about."_

" _You … you seem sad though sis. Are you sure everything is fine?" Annabeth asked, concerned. Though Thalia didn't verbally say, Annabeth could tell something was bothering her. It was almost like the two girls had a sixth sense of when the other sister was feeling sad or down._

" _Annabeth, of course I'm fine! Don't worry dude! Don't worry!" Thalia reiterated._

 _Annabeth though went near Thalia, resting her head on her forearm, gripping Thalia's arm. It was a gesture similar to a little child clinging on to her parent._

 _A little sister who looked up to and loved her big sister a lot._

 _"I'm … I'm sorry whatever happened, Thalia. Maybe I shouldn't have teased you so much on that boyfriend thing. I didn't know your call was important." Annabeth shyly said._

 _"Aww, Annabeth stop..." Thalia uttered as she brought Annabeth close to her, giving Annabeth a kiss on the forehead. It was a gesture both girls would do to comfort one another. It first started as a little joke. However, slowly, the gesture started to grow on them._ _It was among the many ways Annabeth and Thalia displayed their care and worry to each other._

 _Of how much they loved each other._

 _"I was just teasing you, you know that! You didn't ruin anything, trust me. It's just ... it was ... I ... don't worry about it ok?" as Thalia quickly tickled Annabeth in the stomach._

 _Annabeth, as usual, giggled. "Eeee, stop you know I'm ticklish! Ok, Thalia. I love you!" as Annabeth hugged her friend._

 _Thalia looked down at her little friend. For the first time, Thalia didn't quickly respond with an "I love you back." as she always did._

"Let's just get back to finding a dress for you, ok? Have you found one you liked?" Thalia inquired, trying to change the subject.

 _Annabeth's smile dipped_. _"Ugh, why? Why can't I just pick a random dress and get the hell out of here?"_

" _Sorry, it doesn't work that way. You know that smart girl!"_

" _Noooooo. I'm hungry now," Annabeth complained. "I want some delicious ice cream!"_

 _"Tell you what. I'll buy you a Spiderman popsicle from one of the ice cream trucks outside if you stay here another 30 minutes? Deal?"_

 _Annabeth blinked. "Two popsicles?" she asked._

" _No. Don't be greedy Annabeth. 1."_

" _I want 2 though."_

" _1."_

" _2"_

" _Annabeth. Uno."_

" _Thalia. Dos or no deal."_

 _Thalia relented. "Fine 1 and a HALF. Don't tell your babysitter though. She'll kill me if she knew I'd let you have some extra ice cream."_

 _"Ok. Two it is! Yayyyyyy." Annabeth cheered she grabbed her dresses and headed back into the changing room, but not before giving Thalia another hug._

 _Thalia found herself holding on to Annabeth a little longer, relishing her friend's hug._ _With the impending move on the horizon, the spiky-haired girl didn't know how much longer she had with her best friend._

 _'Jason is my family. But ... but Annabeth is also my family. F_ _amilies stick together._ _Families keep promises. I won't leave you Annabeth...'_

I promise.

* * *

 **Hey! Short chapter yes. Apologies. I wanted to release something quickly to let you guys know I'm very much still alive. For better or for worse lol :P. Hence why this chapter was kind of short compared to my other ones. I'm leaning on possibly releasing shorter chapters but with a quicker update schedule in the future since I hate making you all wait for long periods of time. Let me know your thoughts on that though.**

 **Though this chapter was short, quite a lot happened. Thalia will possibly be moving from New York to Las Vegas. However, clearly, her heart is torn about that possibility, especially as she now has a family with her best friend, sister Annabeth in NY. Quite a lot happening.**

 **Ok ok, so where have I been for the past month? Well, first, I've been sick for a while. Yay. I'm better now though thanks :3. Secondly, I've just been super busy with school and a lot of personal things in my life have been happening that's made me stressed and kind of sad.** **I** ' **m** **not going to get into specifics but I haven't been feeling too great for a while. I'm feeling better though! I want to thank a friend in particular (won't say their name) who's helped me recently. This person has been amazing! :) Also, you guys have also been great and supportive with your reviews, PMs. Much love from your best Friction. I've really come to miss not only writing fanfics but interacting with you guys. Love you all :333**

 **As for when I'll update next, I hope it will be 2 weeks from now. I can't guarantee that though as I'm soooo busy this semester :(. I'll try though.**

 **Alright, fav, follow, review, subscribe, tweet, fax, whatever you can do. I'm out.**

 **Friction**

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

 **FauxFire123:** Hi! Oh my gods, thank you for your review. You're way too nice girl (dude?). I'm glad you love this story. It's ok for not reviewing earlier. I still love ya regardless :)

Nah you weren't pushy with your suggestions. I always welcome any sort of criticism, story suggestions! Leo and Reyna are intriguing as a pair. I've definitely read fanfics with Leyna ( I think that's the ship name) as a couple and they're definitely cute. You'll have to wait with what my plans are, however ;). Sorry, I'm evil HEHE.

Oh, and you're in luck with a possible post-Percabeth epilogue and catch up with other characters as you suggested. I'm planning on making the second part of Just Friends after our little Percabeth get together. WAIT, WHAT. THE SECRET IS OUT?! Yeah, I know :P. I'm so excited cause I have a lot of stuff planned out and like I can't wait man :D.

 **BruisesHeaShip:**

Trust me you ain't the only one frustrated with Annabeth. Annabeth I feel needs to go through a journey of not only learning how to trust her heart but trust herself before she can open up to Percy. But I can't wait for Percabeth either :). I hope you'll like it.

 **ArtemisNewHunter:**

Hey, it's been TOO long! I hope you're doing well with everything. Thanks! I love Thalia and Annabeth so much. I actually have a cute Valentine's themed one-shot I was working on revolving Thalia and Annabeth but I wasn't sure if I should release it. I might though. And I agree I like having Reyna fleshed out as a character rather than just a plot device to make a romance story interesting. And oh my gods shut up your story is FINE Violet. I'm the only one that can be self-deprecating on my story :P. Don't steal that quality from MEh.

Oh, and to answer your question from your PM (by the way, I need to answer it still crap), yes I've seen the Spiderman Far from Home trailer. It's so dope. Is Zendaya playing MJ though? I was confused about that. 2019 is going to be amazing for fandoms! First How to Train Your Dragon, Spiderman, Avenger End Game, Toy Story 4. Sheesh, we're # blessed.

 **Percabeth824:** Thank you! And I read your latest chap for your story. It's so cute! I still can't believe you're only like 15 percent of the way through all of Percy's 100 gifts. There's so much left!

 **The Goode Ravenclaw:**

Ahh, I'm glad you loved the last chap! I know little Annabeth is SO cute I want to pinch her. She's so adorkable lol. I understand where you're coming from with Frederick. I don't want to make it seem though that he hates Annabeth or he doesn't love her. Frederick does love his daughter. It's unfortunate extraneous circumstances with his job forces Frederick to move. And little Annabeth misinterprets that as her dad not loving her. Which you can understand being in Annabeth's position as Annabeth has always had a problem with making friends and people around her whom she loves (like her mom) leaving her. Hope this clears it up :).

And yeahhhh I had to throw a Malec reference in there for all you TMI fangirls :P. No shame in admitting your fangirlness. Ya'll are dope :).

 **ZebraGirl202:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked my one-shot story. I was literally just messing around and fooling around with that ff story XD. But thank you though :3


	28. Why I haven't been uploading FF

_**Why I haven't been uploading FF**_

Hi guys :). Your boy Friction here. I know this isn't the update you all wanted. I'm fully aware that for a prolonged period of time, I've stopped updating Just Friends. I'm really really sorry about that. Please know that it isn't due to a lack of interest in my story nor a desire to end Just Friends. In fact, I'm planning/hoping on updating again in the coming days, maybe even this weekend. And I'm working extremely hard to achieve that.

However, I don't think I can commence writing again without being honest with both you guys and myself with what has been going on. I consider the FF community like family almost. I care if something is wrong with you guys and I think I have a responsibility to disclose whether something is wrong within my life.

If you want to read the rest of this message, please do. It will mean a lot to me. If you just care about when I'll update again, which I totally understand, I'll be uploading soon, at most hopefully next week.

As you may know, I disclosed in my latest chap in the A/N I have been feeling a little sad with what has been going on in my life. Well, the truth of the matter is is that for the past few months, I've been feeling super depressed and sad. It stems and involves a number of things. School. Family. Friends. They just seemed to collapse on top of me at once during the same time.

However, I think most of all, the one thing I can point to that's been making me sad and depressed for not only past months but for a long time; a strong sense of loneliness. Maybe some of you already can tell but I'm a super awkward dude. That is made readily apparent by my rambly A/Ns and impeccable lack of charm which exudes prominently through my PMs :P.

However, I do know I DO suffer from some social anxiety. For those who may not know what that is, social anxiety causes me to do stupid shit like over-analyze an interaction I had with a friend, stranger long after the encounter, out of fear that I messed up. It causes me to avoid social things like parties and gatherings with friends out of fear. I've canceled plans I've made to hang out with my friends last minute as I was nervous/uncomfortable. It's a part of me I really fucking hate about and wants to rip out.

For a while, I was ok. But I've definitely had trouble making/maintaining friendships. I've had acquaintances and some friends. I never had a lot though. Especially, close friends and best friends. And, idk, after a while, it piles up and I can't lie and say it doesn't suck nor hurt a lot feeling like this. Like I always felt I never TRULY fit in and I was always trying to fit in and make people accept me. It's part of the reason why I turned to humor. It's an avenue for me to let my awkwardness show in a positive manner that I think/hope people like.

Even more in the past months, I have just been feeling that I don't have a lot of people I can turn/talk to when I'm feeling down. Even less than that, just _hang out_ with. It's partly my fault cause I'm horrible at making/maintaining friendships but also cause I don't really have someone I consider "close" to and trust. Family, friends. Girlfriend (that wasn't happening anytime soon anyway :P).

Especially now, college, I feel things have gotten worse. I haven't made a ton of friends at all and I find myself spending my lunches, post-class by myself. I try to convince myself it's ok, who gives a fuck. Deal with it. But like ik better. And it's a really lonely feeling.

At one point, a few months ago, all this, combined with some fallouts with certain friends and family, just piled up. Especially the fallouts with my friends and family, who I did trust and felt close to, really affected me a lot and made me sad. So I decided to cut myself off from social stuff, including FF. I needed to get away and honestly, hide. What I was hiding from, idk. I guess sometimes I hide my sadness/depression to my fam/people because I fear they'll avoid talking to me/won't understand. I mean it's understandable; nobody wants to hear that personal shit. But I fear being judged for what I'm going through.

So that's what I've been dealing with past months. I'm feeling better though. Some days I'll feel ok, those rare few days great. But I'll have those days where I'm just really sad. And those are the worse. I'm sorry I've made you all read this and I feel terrible for leaving you all in the dark for so long. For a while, I wanted to say all this but I kept saying no. Part of the reason why I've put my story on hiatus in the past is due to feeling that I'm not being recognized for what I do.

I hope I didn't come across badly and, for lack of a better term, bitchy, in this A/N. I just wanted to be honest and idk, I needed to tell someone what I'm feeling. Anyways, I hope you got all that mumbo jumbo I've spewed. Again, I'm hoping to update soon-ish And I know I have a TON of PMs to answer. I'll try to get back on those if I can. Give me time, please!

Anyways thanks, you guys. I love you all a lot and missed ya'll :)

-Best Friction :333


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